It's About Time
by mistwolf42
Summary: Morgause and Morgana use magic to send Arthur into the future: specifically, London 2012. Unfortuantly, their plans are muddled when Merlin is also whisked away. Can our heroic duo, with the help of a rather flustered 23-year-old girl, survive the future and get back to the past before they mess up time completely? Or will Morgause get to Arthur first? No slash. No romance.
1. Prologue

**AN: **So...this is the first story I've ever published on Fanfiction, though I have been stalking the site for a little while now. I thought I'd go ahead and post the Prologue for this and "test the waters" if you will. Let me know how it is and I'll try to update once a week (probably on a Monday or something), even if no one reads it cause for gosh sake's, writing it is sure keeping _me_ entertained if no one else. So please enjoy this classic multi-fic, which I hope has a slightly lighter atmosphere to balance out our screaming fangirl souls in light of the recent ending of the series.

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**Rating: K+ **(Just to be safe)

**Pairings:** None

**Plot:** Morgana and Morgause have come up with a foolproof plan to get rid of Arthur for good this time. With the help of an enchanted bracelet, they send the prince into the future: to the year 2012. Unfortuantly, their plans are slightly muddled when Merlin, too, is whisked away with the prince. After enlisting the help of a rather flustered 23-year-old girl, Merlin and Arthur are going to have to figure out how to get back to Camelot before they mess up time for good. Can our heroic duo survive the 21st century, or will a determined Morgause thwart their plans?

**Warning: **For reasons that I truly cannot even come near to comprehending, I do not own the TV show _Merlin._ And until the day that I become Dictator of the World, I will not make claims to owning the character, plots, storylines, ideas, etc. Now stop reading this boring stuff and read the story!

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**Prologue-In Which Two Evil Witches Discuss Time**

The typical greens that coloured the woods in the daytime were turned into sinister shades of black by the absent light. Winding vines and gnarly tree trunks which seemed whimsical in the broad daylight became hidden enemies in the night. Every whisper of the wind through the leaves was a bandit; every caress of a branch against the arm or snagged on clothing was the touch of some mysterious, deadly villain.

But such things did not worry Morgana Pendragon tonight. Such fears that often plagued her mind when she walked alone in the forests after twilight did not come to her this time.

For tonight she had been promised a fool proof plan to kill Arthur Pendragon.

The dark haired girl gathered her cape closer around her as she strode through the woods, being careful not to catch her foot on any of the gnarled roots that were made difficult to see in the darkness. She quickened her pace, anxious to see the one that had sent her the message to meet in the woods tonight. Morgana knew her beloved sister, Morgause, had been planning something for some time, but in response to Morgana's impatient questions, the blond woman had only smiled and said, "This will take time. But I promise you, Sister, you will not be disappointed."

And so Morgana had had to content herself with knowing that her sister was ruthless and clever: if she promised her plan would be worth it, then Morgana would have to wait.

But the time for waiting was over. Morgana looked ahead and saw the flicker of a light from a concealed cave only scant meters ahead of her. Her heart leaped into her throat and she practically jogged to the cave's entrance, anticipation causing adrenaline to stir in her blood.

Morgana reached the cave's entrance in little time and stepped into the warm light of a torch that had been hung on the wall. Just enough to give light to work by, but not enough to attract attention from afar. Morgana could also see the light flickering from a fire, and the form of a woman standing near it.

"Sister!" Morgana said, a smile spreading across her face. Morgause turned, also smiling, as her brown eyes met those of the Lady Morgana. The two women embraced, taking a moment apart from their evil planning just to enjoy the company of the other. But finally, Morgana pulled away.

"What of this plan of yours?" she asked, not unkindly. "Is it finished?"

"That is why I have called you here, Sister," Morgause said, a smile still on her face, her brown eyes glittering with dark delight. "The plan to finally rid ourselves of young Arthur Pendragon is almost complete."

Morgana's eyes glittered with joy and she glanced over her sister's shoulder to see a large, black cauldron sitting over the fire's flames. Morgana remembered when Morgause had used a similar cauldron to enchant a mandrake root, which Morgana had planted beneath Uther's bed in attempt to drive him insane. That plan had, unfortunately, failed, as the annoying servant Merlin had gotten in the way of their plans. Morgana hoped that this time, such a thing would not happen.

"Come close," Morgause bid her sister, taking her hand and leading her towards the cauldron over the fire. Morgana peered over the edge of the black cookware and frowned distastefully at the swamp-water green sludge inside.

"What is that?" she asked, glancing to her sister. Morgause chuckled lightly.

"It looks unpleasant, doesn't it?" she said, amused. "But this potion will bring about the fall of our little prince. Watch, my sister."

Morgause reached into the recesses of her cape and produced something which she held out to Morgana. The girl took the item and looked at it with interest. It was a silver bracelet, thick and intricately etched with symbols that were foreign to Morgana. The piece was stunning. What made it even more so was the blue gem set in the center of the piece, surrounded by tiny symbols, which Morgana could only just make out.

"Amser aros am unrhyw ddyn," she read. "'Time waits for no man'?" She looked to her sister for confirmation.

"Yes, my sister," Morgause said with approval. She took the bracelet from Morgana's hands and held it out reverently in front of her. "Such an artifact has not been seen in a very long time. Even the Preistesses of the Old Religion rarely saw a peice such as this. And this is the last one left."

"But what is it?" Morgana asked, fascinated by the peice, but anxious to find out just what it had to do with getting rid of Arthur.

"This bracelet was crafted using magic, Sister. Even I do not fully understand how it came to be. But what it does have is the power of Time itself. Once activated, the bracelet can twist and change time to the will of the one controlling it. Observe."

Morgana watched as Morgause held the bracelet out at arm's length and let it fall into the green mixture with a sickening "_splop". _ Morgana's eyes were drawn to the face of her sister as the blonde woman closed her eyes and began to chant. Morgana did not understand the words, but they obviously had quite the impact on the bracelet which floated in the green goo. As Morgause finished her incantation, the liquid began to boil and the bracelet began to spark. The blue gem in its center flashed, emitting its own light as a strange mist seemed to swirl inside the gem itself. Morgana watched in fascination. After a few seconds, the light show dimmed and eventually stopped altogether. Morgause reached forward and lifted the bracelet out of the liquid and held it in her hand.

"And now it is ready," she said with approval. She held it out to Morgana, who took it and scrutenized it with sharp eyes.

"Leave it somewhere for Arthur to find," Morgause instructed. "As a present from someone. But I must warn you, Sister, do not let it appear that is was from you."

Morgana looked up at her sister.

"Will it kill him?" she asked, eyes sparkling. Morgause smiled in amusement down at her sister.

"How dark you have become," she said, a smile playing on her lips. But the grin dissapeared and she became serious. "The bracelet has the power of _time_, my sister. When the incantation you read aloud is spoken while Arthur is wearing the bracelet, our annoying young prince will be taken where you will never see him or hear of him again. He will be swept away into a time he does not know, ridding you of him forever."

Morgana's eyes glittered at the news, and a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"Which will only leave Uther in my way. I will enjoy getting rid of him without Arthur getting in the way."

But, suddenly, a thought struck her. She looked back up at her sister from where she had been staring at the bracelet in her hands.

"But what of Arthur's servant, Merlin? He cannot get in our way again."

"The simple-minded servant won't be able to understand where his precious prince went," Morgause promised. "And there will be nothing he can do about it, even if he does suspect. He cannot travel into the future and save his prince. He will be helpless."

"The future?" Morgana asked. "That is where he will be sent? How far into the future?"

"I have picked a time, which, I think, will be well-suited for our young prince," Morgause said. "So far into the future that he cannot even _dream_ to bother you, Sister. Where I chose to send him is _thousands_ of years after our time. Our dear Arthur Pendragon will be sent to the year two-thousand and twelve."


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: **Posting once a week drives me nuts because I already have seven chapters of this story done, and it's painfully slow to me to post them one at a time. But I know it'll be better in the long run, since school will be starting back next week and I'll have less time to work on this. Also, please excuse any major spelling errors in this chapters, even though I did try to catch most. Apperently, because of the spell in the Prologue chapter, Word decided that the rest of that chapter and this chapter were all in Welsh and wouldn't help me with spelling. Go figure.

Also, I forgot to mention for anyone who hasn't figured it out, this fanfiction takes place around the 3rd season.

Enjoy =)

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**Chapter 1- In Which There is Magic and an Alarm Clock**

There was nothing unusual about that morning. On the contrary, for the black-haired servant boy with the neckercheif, if was, unfortunatly, a normal morning. A normal morning of waking up early, shoveling down a little breakfast and stumbling out of the Court Physician's chambers to wake up a certain princly prat and see how man projectiles he could dodge today.

Of course, most bad days tend to start out innocently, and if people actually could tell what was going to happen to them on a certain day, most would never get out of bed.

The only slightly odd thing that occurred was that he passed Morgana in the hall outside Arthur's bedchamber. And, like usual, she shot him the most withering glare she could muster.

_Honestly,_ Merlin wondered. _One day she'll start killing people with those looks._ He shuddered at the thought and rather wished he hadn't come up with it in the first place. There was little time to think about it anymore, however, as he reached the door to the prince's room and entered, like usual, without knocking.

Merlin rolled his eyes, seeing that, of course, Prince Arthur was still asleep, draped over his bed and looking like more than a ragdoll than a prince. He was also drooling rather heavily onto his pillow. With a smirk, Merlin crept over to the drawn curtains that covered the large windows of the prince's room. He grasped the ornate fabric in both hands, then, with a flourish, threw the shades open, causing sunlight to flood into the room.

"Rise and shine!" he said in the cheeriest voice he could. To his satisfaction, a muffled groan came from the bed as the prince desperatly tried to hide his face from the morning sunlight using pillows. But Merlin was having none of it.

"Come on, you've got work to do, sire!" Merlin said, bouncing over to Arthur's bedside and yanking the pillow from the prince's hand. Another pillow was hurled at his head for his troubles. Merlin dodged it and it landed heavily on the prince's desk, knocking over a candlestick with a loud clatter. It broke into two peices. The now-awake prince glared pointedly at his servant.

"Now look what you've done," Arthur accused. "You'll be fixing that later."

"How is that _my_ fault?" Merlin demanded. "You threw the pillow!"

"I wouldn't have had to if you weren't such a..." Arthur trailed off while his still-groggy brain tried to come up with the right insult for the insubordinate servant before him.

"Shall I get your breakfast or do you want me to stand here for the next century while you try to come up with a retort?" Merlin asked. As a reward for his wittiness, he received a pillow in the face.

Arthur opened his mouth to snap something back at the manservant, but the morning bickering was halted by a knock at the door.

"Enter," Arthur called, and the door creaked open to reveal one of the many servant of Camelot standing in the entrance of Arthur's bedchambers, looking rather confused at the pillows which were now strewn across the room, and the prince who was still not wearing a shirt.

"What is it?" Arthur asked when the man at the door didn't speak. Merlin smothered a laugh. It was often the reaction of servants who came to call in the middle of Arthur and Merlin's typical morning banter. The looks on their faces were priceless.

But, at the voice of the prince, the tongue-tied servant found his voice and held out a wooden box to the prince.

"A gift, for you, m'lord," the servant stuttered, ducking his head and holding out the box to the prince. Merlin watched with amusement. He never could understand how someone could lower themselves to the level that so many of the servants did when they spoke to Arthur. Merlin couldn't imagine speaking to such a prat like that. Arthur deserved the wit he got from Merlin.

Arthur took the box, a look of bemusement on his face.

"Who's it from?" he asked, turning the package around in his hands. It was a rather fine-looking wodden box, with a slightly curved lid and intricatly carved patterns that wove their way over the wood. Such a box clearly stated that, even though the package was expensive already, the gift that it contained inside would be something much more.

"I-I do not know, m'lord," the servant stuttered, still not looking Arthur in the eye. "I was not told. Just that it was for you. I'm sorry, m'lord, if I have made a mistake..."

"No, of course not," Arthur quickly put in, cutting the servant off. He couldn't stand listening to servants stutter on and on like that. As much as Merlin did drive him up the wall, he honestly was thankful that the manservant wasn't a bootlicker like so many employed in the castle.

Arthur was transfixed by the box, and turned it over in his hands and he studied each inch of its intricatly decortated surface. After a long moment, he realized the servant was still standing there, awkward and unsure of what to do. Arthur glanced up, cleared his throat.

"You may go," he said. The servant relaxed visibly and bowed to the prince before quickly taking his leave, shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, Merlin stepped forward to stand next to Arthur.

"What is it?" the manservant asked, having also been studying the mysterious box.

"I'm not sure..." Arthur said slowly. His fingers brushing a golden latch. Quickly, the flicked it open. The lid sprang open to reveal its contents. Both Arthur and Merlin's eyes widened at the sight of what lay inside the intricate container.

Nestled in a bed of blue silk was a thick, intricatly carved silver bracelet. Arthur picked it up in his fingers and studied it.

"That," Merlin said carefully. "Is gorgeous."

"Yes it is," Arthur agreed, distracted as he turned the gift around, tracing the intricate carvings with his eyes. Finally, he came to rest on the sight of the large blue gem set into the bracelet's silver band, surrounded by the intricatly carved words.

"Have you ever seen a gem like that, Merlin?" the prince said, quite stunned at the deep, radient colour the gem seemed to be producing. Merlin shook his head.

"No, I haven't," he said. "I wonder who sent it?"

"Indeed..." Arthur said. Suddenly, the prince came to his senses. How girly all this was, gawking at a silver bracelet like he was! Only someone like _Morgana_ would do something like this, not he, the prince! Snapping himself out of the trance the bracelet seemed to have caused, Arthur glanced up to see Merlin staring at the bracelet with a similar fascination and...was that apprehension in his blue eyes?

No matter.

"What are you doing standing there, _Mer_lin?" Arthur demanded, back to his usual tone. Merlin jerked out of his trance to look at Arthur, annoyance beginning to creep back to the forefront of his emotions. "You said five minutes ago that you were going to fetch my breakfast. And here you are, staring at a bracelet like a _girl_."

"You were staring at it, too!" Merlin protested. Arthur fixed him with a glare.

"I was doing nothing of the sort," he retorted. "Now get my breakfast before I decide to see if I can wrap this bracelet around your skinny neck."

Merlin stared at Arthur for a long moment, mouth open in amazement at just how annoying the blonde haired prince could be. Finally he sighed and turned towards the door.

"Prat," he muttered as he exited the prince's chambers.

"I head that."

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Merlin walked down the long hallway, thinking. He couldn't shake the strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. As soon as Arthur opened that box and revealed the bracelet, Merlin could feel something was not right. The bracelet was magical. And Merlin was _never_ wrong about magic. But it wasn't just magic. Oh, no. It was _powerful_ magic. When he felt that something was magic, it was usually just a tingle in the back of his mind or in his stomach. But this...this was a distinct..._clanging_. Like the warning bells that the guards would ring. There were only a few times that Merlin ahd felt such a sensation. One time with the Alchemist's Stone, and one other time with the Crystal of Neahtid.

Merlin also remembered how those two adventures had gone down, and couldn't help but feel that leaving Arthur alone with that bracelet would not amount to anything good.

The warlock paused in his step and glanced back over his shoulder, wondering if he should go back just to check and make sure Arthur was still okay. Maybe he could feign forgetting something, then slip the bracelet into his pocket just to make sure Arthur wouldn't get himself in trouble with it. But was it possible that he was just over-reacting to all of this? Maybe he should just get Arthur's breakfast, leave it all alone. After all, Arthur wasn't a _complete_ idiot. What was he going to do with the bracelet? He wasn't a child. He'd be fine in the few minutes it would take Merlin to go to the kitchens, get his breakfast, and get back to Arthur's chambers.

Merlin was just about ready to turn and keep walking when he saw a shadow flash out of the corner of his vision. He turned back around and caught the glimmer of a dress just turning the corner. Merlin's heart leaped into his throat. He knew that gown.

_Morgana._

Merlin turned on his heel and started back towards Arthur's chambers, his steps quickening, his heart beginning to beat harder against his ribs. He rounded the corner to find Morgana standing atop a table near the wall that sported the small grate that allowed air to pass into Arthur's chambers. She was pearing into Arthur's chamber, a wicked grin on her face. Merlin's pace quickened until he was almost at a run. But before he reached the door, Morgana started chanting what the warlock immediatly knew to be a spell.

"_Amser aros..."_ she began. Merlin knew he wouldn't reach her in time to stop her. There was only one thing he could do.

He reached Arthur's chambers and slammed open the door, hoping he'd reach the prince in time.

* * *

After Merlin had left, Arthur put the bracelet down and pulled on a shirt that Merlin had left out from the previous day. But even as he tried distract himself from the silver band that now sat back inside its wooden box, Arthur couldn't stop himself from glancing up at it. He shook his head and looked back down at a document that sat on his desk, demanding his attention. But after a moment, he looked up once more. There was something about that bracelet, something that just made you want to look at it. Maybe it was that blue gem set in the middle with that writing around it...

Arthur didn't even remember walking over to the table where the box and bracelet sat. But, suddenly, it was in his hand, and he was turning it over again, looking at it, tracing its intricate carvings with a finger.

And then he slipped it onto his wrist, his eyes locked onto the blue gem that seemed to be glowing from its place in the silver.

And then the door burst open and Merlin was running in. Arthur barely heard the manservant call his name in a panic. But suddenly, Merlin was clutching the bracelet around Arthur's wrist as if he was trying to pull it off, and then there was a blinding flash of light and the sensation of a thousand hot coals burning their way into his arm...

And then there was nothing.

* * *

The alarm went off.

Seriously, if there was one sound that she hated more than any other sound it the world, it was the sound of an alarm clock.

_Where is my sledge hammer?_ Her drowsy brain managed to wonder. _One of these days that clock is gonna meet its end..._

Crystal Simmons slapped the digital clock on the table beside her bed several times before she finally found the "Alarm Off" button, silencing the world's most annoying sound. After several minutes of arguing with herself whether or not she should just go back to sleep and face the consequences tommorrow, the young, 23-year-old girl finally threw the covers off and groaned with annoyance as she stumbled out of bed and into the tiny kitchen of her London flat. Eyes still half-lidded, she slammed open and closed a few cupboards until she found the box of granola bars she kept. She yanked one from the box and pried the foil covering off before shoving the bar into her mouth. She walked back towards her bedroom, passing a pile of envelopes she'd dumped on the edge of the counter. She glanced at them and sighed at the big red letter sitting atop them all. The words _Rent Due_ made her stomach clench even as she swallowed a mouth full of granola. She grabbed the flier and flipped it over, as if doing so would somehow make the deadline dissapear. Honestly, how many bills could one girl get all at once?

She tossed the wrapper for the granola bar onto her bed and swallowed the last bite of her breakfast. Ten minutes later, her rather wild red-brown hair was moderatly tamed and tied into a ponytail, her teeth were brushed, and she was sporting the typical dress shirt and pants that her job as a sales clerk required. Still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes, the girl walked over to the tiny table that was covered in dirty dishes and managed to find the keys for her car beneath the rubble. She glanced around the tiny apartment and frowned. It was a disaster, but when did a girl like her have time to _clean_? And it wasn't like she was having company any time soon. Ever since she'd broke up with Josh, no one had even _asked_ to come over to her place. As far as she was concerned, those dishes could stay there until kingdom come.

Crystal finally turned from the mess of her flat and towards her front door, absolutly certain that today was going to be just another boring, typical day.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who has been commenting and favorite-ing and following. It really keeps me encouraged. Now on to Chapter 2!

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**Chapter 2-In Which There is a Very Confused Warlock**

The world was black for a long time for Merlin. He wasn't sure how long he had been out, but when he finally did start coming around he rather wished he could remain unconscious.

For one thing, his head pounded like someone was bashing the back of his skull in with the hilt of a sword. For another thing, though he hadn't yet opened his eyes, he could tell that something was very, very wrong.

The _sound_ wasn't right. He'd been in Arthur's chambers when the light had flashed, when Morgana had done whatever she'd done. Waking up he would have expected to hear the sounds he usually heard in the castle: servants in the corridors, maybe Arthur yelling at him to _wake up_, maybe even guards coming to see what had happened. Or if he'd been taken to Gaius' chambers, he would have expected to hear the sound of Gaius muttering to himself and the clink of vials or the pounding of a mortar against a pestle as the old physician ground herbs for medicines.

But the noises he was hearing now….none of them were at all familiar. Before Merlin allowed himself to open his eyes, he decided to let some of his other senses take over for a minute, in case there was any danger that he needed to know about before opening his eyes and letting anyone near know that he was conscious.

He had already decided that the noise wasn't right. It was far too loud for one thing. Too many voices, unless he was lying amongst the streets of the lower town. But even then it seemed there were too many voices around him to be in Camelot. And there were other sounds, too. Music, and sounds like giant birds squawking, and screeching and yelling….it was enough to make his already-pounding head throb even worse.

Smell was something else. He could smell a strange, acrid scent in the air, like smoke but different. And…was that rotten fruit? Was he in the stocks? But that wouldn't make sense…

He couldn't tell much from feel except that he was lying on something hard and rather cold. And there might be rain as well. Yes, definitely rain, falling from the sky and hitting his face. He winced. It was cold.

Taste wouldn't have told him anything, so he let that one alone. Finally, deciding that he really did need to open his eyes now, the warlock let his lids crack open, let the daylight enter in.

He found himself staring up at the sky, which was grey and drizzling rain onto his sprawled-out form. Merlin groaned and slowly began to sit up, not too fast as to aggravate his headache. Even still, his head swum and he closed his eyes when he was upright, trying to recover from the pain.

He wondered briefly how he'd gotten outside, since he'd been in Arthur's chambers before he'd blacked out. Maybe Morgana had used a transport spell that had sent him and Arthur into the forests? But that wouldn't explain the noise.

As soon as Merlin opened his eyes again and lifted his head, the problem of being outside was soon set aside. He had much bigger problems.

Like _where the heck was he?_

Merlin glanced around, not sure what he was seeing. He seemed to be lying in some sort of an alley, lined with large, painted metal containers filled with discarded food, which explained the smell of rotting fruit. Multicoloured signs hung on the walls around him that were too smooth and seemed to be painted, but the colours were too bright. He had never seen walls painted in colours other than white or light cream. Merlin stumbled to his feet, turning in a circle as he tried to ignore the pounding of his skull.

"Arthur?" he called, realizing for the first time that the royal prat wasn't in his line of sight. But surely he was around here somewhere….

"Arthur?" he called again, but no one answered. Merlin turned slowly on his heel to where he supposed the alley led out. He immediately felt apprehensive. He had no idea where he was, and this alley was a very, very strange place already. The street that the alley emptied out on was where the strange noises and scents seemed to be coming from. Did he really want to walk out into this place that he did not know whatsoever?

Of course, he obviously couldn't stay here. For one thing, it was raining quite hard now, and the awnings of the two strange building on either side of him only gave so much protection. Already his dark hair was sticking to his head and his clothes were beginning to become soaked through. And also, Arthur might be somewhere out there, hurt and just as lost as he was. They needed to get back to Camelot, and out of this strange world. And he needed to leave this alley to do that.

Steeling himself, Merlin strode forward and out of the small alley he'd awoken in.

Only to wish that he had stayed where he had been.

The young warlock found himself in the midst of only what he could describe as chaos. Standing on smooth stone, he watched as, in front of him, across a great black stone road zoomed great shining, metal beasts that belched grey smoke and screeched like great birds. Inside them, he saw men and women, almost as if they had been swallowed by these beasts. Merlin felt confused, and terrified. What on earth were the monsters he saw before him? He stumbled backwards, only to almost be run over by a man straddling was appeared to be a two-wheeled cart, which he pedaled with his feet. He man jeered at him, and Merlin spun, trying to find his bearings. People pushed into him, telling him to get out of their way. Merlin found himself staring through windows into huge shops that sold the strangest articles of clothing and other stores that advertised what he supposed were food items like "Fish and Chips" and "Hamburgers". More people pushed into him, and at one point he was almost thrust into the street amongst the huge monsters that sped at speeds he had never witnessed before. It all became too much for the warlock, and, in a burst of panic, he leaped into a run and turned a corner a little too sharply…

Only to collide with a girl walking the other direction.

* * *

Crystal was on her lunch break. But, since she'd used her last bit of cash the other night to buy that bottle of nail polish (which she was now kind of regretting) that meant she'd have to go back to her flat and see if she still had a frozen dinner she hadn't eaten yet. Of course, if worse came to worse she still had a few granola bars.

She stepped out of the sliding glass door of the department store she worked for and grimaced. Rain. Of course. On the day she didn't have an umbrella with her, it had to be rain. You would think that, having grown up in England, she would have come to the understanding that she should _always_ carry an umbrella. But, no, that of course was not something her mind had decided was necessary information, and on the day that she really could have used that piece of common sense, it had been shuffled away to remember more "pressing" things like the fact that carrots weren't orange until the 17th century…

She hadn't expected someone at that moment to run into her as she was turning the corner towards where she'd parked her car. In a flash of movement, Crystal felt another body impact her own, and she fell forward, only to find that the one who'd collided with her was now awkwardly collapsed beside her.

Crystal struggled up, eyes landing on whoever had run into her, ready to give them a bit of harsh advice on watching where they were going.

But the words died on her tongue before she even opened her mouth to speak. The one who had run into her was a young man, probably around her own age, with raven-black hair that was dripping wet from the rain. He was struggling to rise, and Crystal's eyes widened at the sight of his clothes. She had never seen clothes quite like what this young man was wearing. His red shirt was now mud-stained from his meeting with the pavement, and he wore a rather tattered-looking blue neckerchief tied around his neck. Over the shirt and scarf he wore a brown leather jacket, along with brown trousers and a rather old-looking pair of very odd boots, like nothing Crystal had ever seen before.

A groan escaped the young man's lips, and Crystal was snapped back to her senses.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, touching the man on his shoulder. He looked up at her, his eyes wide and she was shocked to see, panicked.

"Where am I?" he asked, voice tight with fear. He glanced around, as if looking for someone. "Where's Arthur?"

Crystal reeled back a little, slightly frightened by this strange man's questions. She stumbled to her feet, and he did the same, turning slowly around as if trying to get his bearings. Crystal couldn't understand the fear in his eyes. He seemed utterly, completely, scared.

"Are you okay?" she asked again. "Are you lost?"

He turned to her, as if only just realizing she was there. His eyes were urgent.

"Do you know where I am?" he asked. "What is this place? How can I get back to Camelot?"

Crystal stared at him for a long time.

_This guy's a complete nut job,_ she thought. She swallowed hard, wondering if he was drunk or high or something. And yet, she couldn't smell any alcohol or drugs on him. Just to be safe, she took a step back.

"Uh…you're in London," she told him, studying his disheveled appearance and strange clothes. "London, England….are you sure you're okay?" Crystal was beginning to wonder if he'd hit his head when he fell or something. Or maybe he was an escapee from a mental ward. What she just needed to do was get him on his way so she could get home, change out of these wet, dirty clothes, get something to eat, and get back to work. She _really_ didn't want to spend any more time in conversation with this weirdo than was necessary.

"Do you have family or something that you know?" she asked. Maybe she could just point him in the right direction, back to people who knew him and could take care of him. Maybe he was one of those Asperger's people and had just gotten separated from his family or something.

The man didn't speak for a long time, just looked around, rather lost. Actually, it was more than _rather_ lost. He was _completely _lost. Crystal could see the look of complete horror and confusion on his face and he looked around at the buildings that surrounded him.

"I have to find Arthur…" she heard him mutter to himself. He stepped forward and stumbled. Crystal caught him before he hit the ground, and studied him closely. Seriously, he did not smell like a drunk or someone on drugs. But there was something definitely off about him. And for some reason, Crystal felt strangely compelled to help him.

Gently, she helped him over to a nearby bench, which he sat down on gratefully. Crystal sat beside him, not caring that it was soaking from the rain. They were both already wet so what did it matter?

"Is Arthur your friend?" she asked him softly, as if she was talking to a very small child. "Do you know where he is?"

The boy rubbed his face in his hands.

"Know where _he_ is?" he muttered. "I don't even know where _I_ am."

"Where was the last place you saw him?" Crystal asked, trying to get _some_ sort of answer from this guy. She had no idea why she was still sitting here with him, trying to help him. Something in her told her to leave and let him figure out his own problems. After all, he could be some sort of criminal or drug dealer or something, and if she stayed around too long maybe he'd attack. But a larger part of her told her otherwise. She'd been around people before whom she'd felt she shouldn't be around. They always gave you a tingling feeling in your stomach. But this boy…he didn't seem like that type. Yeah, yeah, she knew what people always said. "There's no 'type'. It could be anyone." But honestly, this young man was just too innocent. And something told her that he _really_ needed help.

After a long time the boy shook his head.

"I have to find him," he said. "He could be in danger."

Crystal blinked. Danger? _What am I getting myself into?_

"Well…" she tried. "Have you…tried the hospitals?"

The young man looked at her blankly.

Secretively, Crystal checked her mobile for the time. She grimaced. She was slowly shaving away precious minutes of her lunch break talking to this weirdo. She needed to shake him.

"Hospitals?" he asked. "You mean like Gaius' chambers? Do you have a court physician somewhere?"

Now it was Crystal's turn to look confused.

"Court physician? What the heck are you talking about?" she didn't have time for this. "Look, there's the King's Hospital up on Court Street, if that's what you mean. I have to go."

She started to get up, but the man stopped her, putting a hand on her arm. She almost pulled away in fear, but he didn't _grab_ her, just touched her. Nothing aggressive. She glanced up to see his eyes (which were deep blue, by the way) boring into her own, pleading. They looked so scared, so lost. Nothing like the eyes of a drunk or a stoner. Whatever had happened to this guy, he wasn't lying about not knowing where anything was.

"Please," he said, voice soft and pleading. "I don't know where anything is, and I have to find my friend. He could be in a lot of danger."

"You don't understand, I'm on lunch break and I have to be back to work in an hour and a half-" Crystal started, but one look into his pleading blue eyes made her argument die on her throat.

"Please," he said again. Crystal sighed and glanced down at her feet. She looked back up at him and finally nodded.

"Alright," she finally consented, wondering if she was insane for agreeing to help such an odd young man. "I'll take you to the hospital, and if he's not there I'll take you to the police department and you can ask about him or something. But that's _it_. And don't get any ideas."

She glared at him as she said the last sentence, but he gave her a blank look and she knew he had no idea what she was talking about. But she wanted to make it very clear to him that she would _not_ put up with any weird ideas if he had any.

She pulled her car keys from her pocket.

"My car's right over here," she said, glad to see her ancient Toyota Camry not but scant meters away. Although it didn't really matter: they were already soaked.

Crystal took a few steps towards where the tan-coloured car stood waiting, but suddenly realized that the boy wasn't following. She turned back around to see him standing back, watching the car with a mixture of fear and confusion. Crystal glanced back to the Camry. Sure, it wasn't the nicest looking car. A 1990 hand-me-down from her brother, it was one of the boxiest things she'd ever laid eyes on. But surely it didn't rate the type of look this young man was giving it.

"What?" she asked, getting rather annoyed by now. She _really_ wanted to get out of the rain. "It's just a car."

"What does it do?" the question was the oddest that had ever been posed to Crystal in her life. Even those weird questions she sometimes got at the Customer Service desk didn't come close to what this young man had just asked her. What type of a freak was he?

"It's a _car_," she repeated. "It….you know…drives."

Not waiting for anymore weird questions, Crystal unlocked the driver's door and hit the lock to release the other doors. She slid in and looked at him.

"Come on, get in," she said. "I have to get back to work soon."

The man moved towards the car like he was afraid it was going to reach out and eat him. He glanced at the cars zipping down the road around them, and apprehensively stepped off the sidewalk onto the black paved street. Crystal waited with barely controlled annoyance as he moved around the back of the car before sprinting to the passenger side door, yanking it open like he'd seen her do, and leaping into the Camry's interior. He landed on the seat heavily and slammed the door closed with such force that Crystal hoped the door wasn't damaged.

She glanced sideways at him to see him staring at the cars speeding past, his eyes wide and his face pale. She rolled her eyes.

_There really is something very wrong with this guy,_she thought as she pulled on her seatbelt and snapped it into the buckle. He was still staring out the window, seemingly oblivious to everything, and Crystal cleared her throat. She had been raised in the firm teaching that seatbelts were a_must_ for everyone. This strange guy was no exception. Besides, the last thing she needed was a ticket for having an unrestrained passenger.

"Uh…seatbelt?" she prompted him. He stared at her blankly, so she tugged at her own to make a point.

"Use it," she said. She watched with bemusement as, after fumbling around his seat clumsily, he finally discovered his and tugged it across his lap. He studied the silver clip at the end before attempting to fit it into the plastic buckle. It snapped into place and his eyes widened, apparently fascinated with this new discovery. Crystal was really starting to wonder from under what rock this guy had crawled out of. But, no matter. She jammed her key into the ignition and yanked the car into gear before stepping on the gas and pulling out into the traffic of London.

And officially embarking on one of the most amusing car rides of her life.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: **The title "A Normal Day In Camelot" would be synonomous with the name of this chapter. Hehe. Anyways, I want to thank everyone who's been reviewing and favorite-ing (again), but really it does mean a lot to me to see that there are people who are enjoying this. =)

* * *

**Chapter 3- In Which Uther is Paranoid, Gwen is Flustered, and Morgana Smirks**

Morgana lowered the arm she'd raised to protect her eyes from the light and looked through the vent, anxious to see if Morgause's plan had worked. Her eyes widened when she saw that yes, indeed, the room where Arthur had been standing only moments before was completely empty.

But then a thought occurred to her: Merlin.

She leaped off the table she'd been crouching on and ran to the door to Arthur's chambers, flinging it open and rushing inside. She spun in a circle on her heel, searching the prince's bedroom.

And she cursed. Merlin was nowhere to be found. He'd vanished with Arthur, and the way that _servant_ meddled in things, could he somehow bring this plan crashing down? But Morgause had been quite insistent: she'd assured her sister that, several thousand years in the future, Arthur would never be able to find his way back to Camelot. Surely the addition of one meddlesome servant wouldn't be able to change this!

Still, she'd bring it up to her sister tonight. She'd already seen the message left for her on her mirror informing her that Morgause wanted to meet her to hear how the plan had gone. Morgana would let her know that Merlin, too, had vanished with the spell and would leave it up to the older woman on whether or not the servant's disappearance with his prince would be something to be concerned about.

Morgana turned and walked quickly out of Arthur's bedchambers, closing the door behind her. She glanced up and down the hall that ran past the prince's rooms, making certain that no one had seen her enter or leave the quarters. Once she was satisfied that her entrance into Arthur's rooms had gone unseen, she turned and briskly began her walk in the direction of the council chambers. Uther had called for a council meeting today, and Morgana would have to play the part of the loving ward at sit at her guardian-but-actually-father's side and smile innocently at his words and do all those things that made her retch. But soon, maybe, it would all be over.

No, not maybe. It would be. Arthur was gone for good, and Uther would soon die. She'd take her rightful place as Queen of Camelot and finally bring magic back to the land.

And hopefully all before the end of the week. Morgana couldn't help but smirk, a habit she'd formed recently that she just couldn't abstain from. The future just seemed so _bright_.

The evil half-smile soon fell from her lips as she passed into the council chambers, the doors held open for her by two guards. She entered the long hall to see Uther standing before his throne, looking slightly distracted. He didn't even look up and give her the customary gushing greeting that he usually gave. Not that she missed it, of course.

She walked to his side and immediately painted a look of concern on her face, reaching gently out with a hand to touch his arm.

"My lord, is there something troubling you?" she asked, mentally retching at the sickeningly sweet sound of her voice. He glanced up at her, his face troubled but he made an effort to try to hide it.

"No, Morgana," he said, turning to her, smiling through his evident concern. Morgana inwardly smirked at his turmoil. Smirking _was_ becoming quite the habit for her. "Only the fact that Arthur has not appeared yet."

"I am sure he has a reason," she said. "Perhaps that servant of his is late waking him."

"Of course. I'm sure you are right," Uther said, agreeing with his ward. "If Arthur is late, though, I'll have that idiot of a manservant of his put in the stocks. This is getting out of hand."

"I'm sure there is nothing to worry about," Morgana assured him, coaxing him to sit down on his throne as she sat on her own seat beside him. As he glanced away, she once more smirked, anxious to see how this day would unfold.

Morgana's words seemed to settle Uther's worries for a time, but when the prince had still not appeared by the start of the council meeting, the king quietly asked two of the guards to check Arthur's chambers and find out why his son was not here. The guards bowed and left quietly through the doors of the council room, or as quietly as two of Camelot's guards could leave. After all, Morgana reflected, they were not the brightest of men.

However, true to his characteristically callous and stern nature, Uther welcomed the members of the council and began his meeting, even without his son. Morgana sat back on her seat and listened to the king's unending talk of taxes, armies, food stores, and news from the outlying villages with thinly veiled boredom. She knew, however, that all this would be worth it just to see Uther's face when Arthur was found to be missing.

And sure enough, the news came.

One of the many knights whom Morgana hadn't bothered to learn the name of was standing and reporting to the king the status of the scouts that had returned from Cenred's kingdom when the doors to the council chambers burst open and the two knights Uther had sent to Arthur's chambers returned.

Uther's head whipped up, and momentarily had a look on his face rather of a startled sheep, which quickly turned to deep concern when he recognized the guards.

"Sire," one barked, stepping forward. "I regret to inform you that Prince Arthur was not in his quarters."

"What?" Uther demanded. "Where is he?"

"We're not certain, Your Majesty," the second guard put it. "But the Prince is nowhere to be found."

"Find him!" Uther barked, eyes turning hard and furious. "I don't care what it takes! Find my son!"

"Yes, Sire," the first guard consented and turned to depart back through the doors, followed by the second guard and the other guards that were also in the council chamber at that moment.

Uther turned away from his council, his brow wrinkled with confusion and anxiety. Morgana stood and hastened to her father's side.

Uther glanced back over his shoulder at the men who sat at the council table, all watching him with varying levels of interest and worry.

"Council dismissed," he said to them. He couldn't think of matters of state now when Arthur was missing, vanished from his chambers.

The councilors stood and quickly filed out of the council room, knowing better than to stick around when their king was in this kind of mood. Their parting left Morgana alone with the uther, and she touched his arm gently.

"My lord, I am sure that they will find him," she assured him. "Arthur can't be far."

Uther nodded firmly, too lost in his own dark thoughts to reply to her. He turned away, and, behind his back, Morgana smirked.

* * *

Guinevere walked briskly down the halls of the castle, a basket of laundry in her hands, with every intention of taking the articles of clothing back to Morgana's chambers to put away before doing some general tidying up to make sure her mistress's room was ready for her return from the council meeting. All in all, it was a fairly normal day for the dark-skinned girl.

That was, until the guards hustled past her, carrying spears, a look of intensity on their helmeted faces.

Guinevere paused and watched them stride past her, confusion wrinkling her young face. She wondered what on earth had gotten the guards so riled.

Just then, the warning bells began to ring. Guinevere gasped and glanced around, trying to find someone who may be able to tell her what was going on. To her relief, she saw Gaius turn the corner and she rushed to the old physician, hoping he could give her some answers.

"Gaius!" she called. The old man stopped and turned to face her, his eyebrows raised higher than usual, a look of concern on his face. She hesitated as she approached him.

"Why are the warning bells ringing?" she asked. "What's happened?"

"Arthur is missing," the physician informed her. "Uther has the guards searching the castle and all of Camelot."

"Missing?" Guinevere gasped. "But…where has he gone?"

"That is what I intend to find out," Gaius said, turning and walking in the direction of his own quarters. Guinevere followed him, glancing periodically over her shoulder as if she would be able to spot Arthur simply standing in a doorway or outside in the courtyard or someplace…normal. Surely he couldn't _truly_ be gone?

Gaius took a detour near Arthur's chambers, but both girl and physician found that the prince's rooms were heavily guarded and they were not allowed to enter by order of the king. So the two had returned to Gaius's chambers, where Gwen hoped maybe the physician would have an idea about what was going on.

Gaius pushed the door open, and Gwen followed close behind.

"Merlin!" Gaius's call echoed off the walls of the physician's chamber, but there was no answer. Gwen watched with anxiety as the old man walked up the short flight of steps to his ward's small bedroom. He opened the partially-closed wooden door and looked inside to find the space empty. His face was anxious as he turned back to the servant girl waiting in the main chamber.

"Where's Merlin?" she asked, unable to keep the fear from her voice. Gaius shook his head.

"If something had happened to Arthur, I would have expected I'd have heard from him by now," Gaius was clearly troubled.

"Was he with Arthur this morning?" Gwen asked, beginning to think along the same lines as the physician. And she did not like where this train of thought was taking her.

"Yes, he was," Gaius said darkly. Gwen swallowed hard, and Gaius turned intense eyes towards her.

"I don't think the guards will find Arthur in Camelot," Gaius said darkly.

"Well, maybe Merlin's gone to find him," Gwen attempted to add some hope to the situation. "I'm sure he'll keep Arthur safe."

Gaius nodded gravely.

"Let us hope so."

* * *

**A/N:** I know, I'm horrible to you. A chapter just in Camelot. Although, this will probably be the only time you really see Gaius and Gwen, as I'm not planning to focus on them much. But do not fret, my friends! We will catch up with Arthur and Merlin in the next chapter. What has happened to Arthur? How will Merlin cope with automobile rides? And how many licks _does_ it take to get to...Oh, wait, that's not in that chapter. Sorry. But, anyways, tune in next week for the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N**: So, Chapter 4 at last. A slightly shorter chapter (sorry about that) but at least we can catch up with Arthur and Merlin! I'm currently writing chapter 11 of this story, and it's been a little slow-going because I've hit some plot issues that I've been trying to hammer out. Also my brain seems to be doing all it can to through distractions at me in the forms of ideas for other stories. But don't worry, I'll stick with this one till the end! Anyways, enjoy.

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**Chapter 4- In Which There is a Prince in the Park, and Merlin Finds No Joy In Car Travel**

Arthur's head was pounding. The last thing he was remembered was Merlin yelling his name, then a flash of light and the feeling that the bracelet he'd just slipped onto his wrist was burning into his flesh. At that thought, Arthur sat up, eyes snapping open. His head swam for a time and he groaned as he shook it in attempt to clear his vision. When the world did seem to come back into focus, the blonde prince glanced around.

His blue eyes widened.

He was sitting beside a tree in what seemed like a grassy clearing. But though Arthur would have expected that surrounding him would be one of the many forests on the outskirts of Camelot, what he saw was nothing of the sort. He had never _seen_ the likes of a place like this. Twisting around the hill upon which he had lain were long stretches of pavement on which people walked or rode on two-wheeled contraptions, or walked dogs on long leashes or glided around on boards on wheels or even shoes with wheels! And the clothes these people were wearing…they were so bright and vibrant! The women did not wear the clothes that the ladies of Camelot wore. A few he saw were wearing dresses, but they were nothing like the long, flowing gowns of the noble ladies or even the less vibrant but still-long dresses of the working class women. They were shorter, plainer, and splashed with brightly coloured patterns. Or they were trousers like men. The men wore formal-looking coats and pants or trousers and coloured shirts with writing on them like nothing Arthur had ever seen. Many also carried strange upside-down bowls on sticks that seemed to be protecting them from the rain that fell from the grey skies above.

Arthur stumbled to his feet, slowly turning around.

Where the _heck _was he? How on Earth had he gotten from his chambers in the castle to….this _place_? Wherever it was.

He remembered the bracelet with the blue gem and the flash of light. At the thought, he held up his arm and looked down at the bracelet that was still attached to the wrist. In a flash of anger, he pulled the offensive gift off and threw it down on the ground, disgusted. He should have known that something was wrong when the servant had said he hadn't known who had sent the present. He should have been suspicious when he had seen the strange runes across the silver, the writing around the blue gem. He should have known better! But he'd been fooled by magic, again. His father was right. Magic was truly evil.

Once the bracelet was gone, he became aware of the fact that his arm was still burning where the metal had touched. He looked down at the skin to see the flesh was red and bleeding and he hissed with pain, pulled the sleeve of his shirt down to cover the wound. He glanced around, expecting to see a certain idiotic, dark-haired servant cowering nearby.

"Merlin!" he yelled, but received no answer.

"_Mer_lin!" he tried again, but no pale face came poking around the other side of the tree, no gangly manservant came running up to him. Arthur's face grew concerned. As much as Merlin drove him up the wall sometimes (or most of the time) he had to admit that right now, he would have been relieved to see the face of that skinny idiot, just to know that not _all_ of the world he had known had vanished.

Besides, Merlin had been in contact with the bracelet when the light had flashed, when whatever spell had been worked. Surely he had been whisked away to this strange world, too?

But, there was no sign of the gangly manservant. Arthur could only picture the idiot cowering in some corner somewhere, in this strange world, completely helpless and terrified. And despite the fact that Arthur, too, was lost in this unknown place, he was certain that he was fairing better than Merlin.

The prince looked around once more, feeling a tight knot of fear form in his stomach. He swallowed hard, trying to push it away. He was a _warrior_. Not just that, but a _future king_. He couldn't get scared like a little girl. He had to keep his head clear, had to move forward. He was terrified, yes, but he also knew that somewhere in this strange place his manservant was also lost and probably just as terrified (or more) than Arthur was. Arthur needed to find him. And Arthur also knew that focusing on a goal would help to ease his own fears and keep him from panicking. Goals were good.

Arthur set off across the grass towards the pavement, his new goal firmly planted in his mind. But even his determination didn't keep him from almost being run over by one of those strange two-wheeled contraptions. The rider pulled on the handles of the thing, narrowly missing running into the prince.

"Oi, watch it, Einstein!" the rider yelled at him as he sped past. Arthur watched the man with a half-annoyed, half-bemused look before walking on. But as he strode further off across this strange clearing, the more he wished he'd stayed where he had been. This world was nothing like he had ever seen before.

In the distance, Arthur could see and hear strange metal boxes whizzing past at unbelievable speeds with people inside them. With the sound they made, they almost sounded like monsters, but Arthur reasoned that they must be some sort of carriage. But with no horses, how did they move? By magic? Was this world a world of magic?

Not for the first time, Arthur desperately wished that his sword wasn't still lying in his chambers. Though it might not have had much affect if all these people around him were magic users, but at least he would have felt in some way more defended than he felt now.

But a prince can't be cowed by new situations, and despite all that was happening around him, Arthur focused his mind back on his goal and strode forward. He'd find Merlin, and somehow, someway, he'd find a way to get them both back to Camelot.

* * *

By the time the girl (whom Merlin still hadn't learnt the name of) had stopped the strange moving thing she called a _"car"_, Merlin felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest it was beating so hard. He couldn't remember _ever_ be so frightened in all his life. He wasn't sure how this _car_ moved without horses to pull it, but however it moved it did so at speeds that Merlin had never had the…_pleasure_…of traveling at before. And the young warlock sincerely hoped that he wouldn't have to again.

"Here we are," the girl said, looking over at him. A smile tugged at her lips, and Merlin could only imagine how horrible he must look right now. She quickly glanced away, hiding her face from him. He knew she must be laughing at him.

Trying to conserve the little dignity he had left, Merlin (rather clumsily) unlatched the seatbelt and turned his attention to his door. He pressed a hand against the strangely smooth surface, trying to find a way to open it. He could feel the girl's eyes on him.

"Pull the handle," she said. He could practically _hear_ her rolling her eyes.

Merlin spied the silver handle on the door and grasped it, then yanked it hard.

"Not…so…hard…" the girl said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, sorry," Merlin apologized, but he was rewarded with a "pop", and the opening of the door. He quickly stumbled out of the strange horseless carriage…thing (_Car, _he reminded himself) and out into the sunlight (or, the filtered sunlight, since it was still raining). He sucked in breath like he had just run a marathon, trying to calm his racing heart. That..was.._terrifying_.

The girl studied him for a moment, and then gestured to the large, pristine, white building before them. A sign in front of it read, _King's Hospital_, and had a few arrows pointing to different sections of the building, including _Cardiac Ward,_ _ER,_ and some others that Merlin didn't entirely understand. However, fortunately for him, the girl seemed to know where to go.

"Come _on_," she said, glancing at a slim, shiny device which she pulled from her pocket. "I've already wasted half my break."

She sped off and Merlin was forced to follow, through the rain, after her.

"Thank you for helping me," he said, sincerely, once he caught up with her. She glanced sideways at him.

"Honestly, I don't know why I am," she muttered to herself, but Merlin didn't comment.

"I'm Merlin, by the way."

She gave him a strange look, like he'd just grown two heads.

"_Merlin_?" she repeated. The young warlock nodded, bemused.

"Yes…"

She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, and then quickly shut it. Forcing a smile, she nodded at him.

"Crystal," she said. "Nice to meet you."

At that moment they approached a set of glass doors, which opened by themselves with a _"whoosh". _Merlin's eyes widened, but he didn't have time to stare at these magically opening doors and followed the girl, Crystal, into the cool, white interior of the hospital.

However, he was beginning to wonder if, by some strange chance, he and Arthur had been sent to a world of magic. If it was true, then Arthur could be in quite a bit more danger than he'd thought.

Merlin tried his best to keep up with Crystal, but his eyes kept being pulled to different areas of his strange surroundings. He was intrigued by this place. For one thing, it was so _big_. Unlike the hospitals they often set up in Camelot during battles, there were no beds strewn around with people draped over them, or laid on floors. In fact, he didn't see any sign of patients. He wondered where they kept them.

He stared at the people who passed by, some with long white coats on, some wearing normal (or what _seemed_ normal for this world) clothes, some wearing lighter looking pants and shirts with bright patterns and carrying clipboards or wheeling carts or just passing through.

Everything seemed to _clean_, too. Gaius's chambers were far from tidy, and in times of war or in battles, treating as many patients as possible was a higher priority than cleanliness. But Merlin could _smell_ the soap in the air, and it made his nose tingle slightly.

Crystal had stopped, and Merlin barely noticed, standing slightly behind her, still staring around. Among all the stark white and cleanliness of this strange hospital, there also, interestingly enough, seemed to be a small…shop, where visitors were obviously browsing through strange merchandise. Merlin watched them, slightly overwhelmed by all that was happening around him.

"_Merlin_," Crystal was saying his name and nudging him, rather pointedly, in the ribs. Merlin blinked and looked at her, oblivious.

"Would you like to tell the receptionist what your friend looks like?" she said, gesturing to a woman who sat behind a large counter before them. Merlin didn't know what a _receptionist_ was, but he reasoned that it must be the woman Crystal had indicated.

"Uh, yeah…" Merlin said, pulling his attention away from his surroundings and towards the woman, the _receptionist_. "He's tall, kind of…well-muscled, with blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Can I have a name?" the woman asked.

"Arthur Pendragon," Merlin answered. The woman gave him an odd glance, but looked back down to what appeared to be a white box in front of her. Merlin couldn't tell what she was doing, but after several bursts of clicking, she looked back up and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, we haven't checked in anyone named Arthur Pendragon," she answered. Merlin's shoulders drooped. Crystal glanced sideways at him, then looked back at the receptionist and nodded.

"Well, thank you anyway," she said, then, taking Merlin by the arm, steered him out of the hospital and back through the magical in the rain again, she turned to him and shrugged apologetically.

"I'm sorry," she said. "We could check the police station, I guess."

Merlin was beginning to come to grips with the fact that _confused_ was going to be his new state of mind.

"Police?" he asked. Crystal rolled her eyes and led him back to the car.

"Just get in," she muttered. But Merlin balked. His memories of his first ride in that thing were not pleasant, and he did _not_ want to ride in it again.

"No way," he said. "Isn't there _another_ way to get to…wherever?"

Crystal was not amused.

"Only if you want to walk sixteen blocks through the rain," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Merlin moaned pitifully and looked back at the tan car. He looked away, his features desperate. Finally he sighed, defeated. He didn't know how far 16 blocks was, but it sounded too far to walk, especially in this rain.

Oh, what he would have done for a horse about this time.

Reluctantly, Merlin climbed awkwardly back into the car, and gripped his knees with his hands until his knuckles turned white as Crystal turned the car back on and yanked it back onto the street, starting another lightning-fast, hair-raising journey.

**A/N: **So, will Merlin finally find Arthur? Or will the prince get himself into trouble before Merlin can get to him? How will one modern girl react to agreeing to help a warlock from medieval times? Find out next week! Hope you'll tune in again! ;)


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I still like to read back through it and laugh. You'll see why.

Anyways, I wanted to update you guys and let you know that I think I'll be updating twice a week now (Mondays and Fridays) instead of just on Mondays. I just finished writing Chapter 13, and once I straighten out my plot a little bit, it'll be pretty smooth sailing for me until the end, which means I should be finishing soon, so I don't have to worry about getting ahead of myself anymore. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5- Which Involves One Awkward Excuse**

"I'm sorry, Merlin."

Girl and boy walked out of the Police station and back onto the street. The rain had stopped for now, but Crystal knew by the look of the sky that it was only paused. The drops would start falling again soon.

They'd driven all the way down to the station, and Crystal practically had to scrape Merlin off his car seat, he'd been so clearly terrified. Crystal was really beginning to wonder about him. After all, there was a difference between someone who just didn't like cars, and someone who was _truly_ terrified. It was almost like he had never ridden in a car before.

But how would that have been possible? I mean, this was _2012_. And even though Crystal wasn't stupid enough to think that everyone in the world had a car, it was clear from his looks and his accent that he was from somewhere around here, not from a third-world country like Africa or something. So how had he lasted this long without having ridden in a car?

She'd led him into the station and once again had prompted him to give a description of Arthur to the man at the desk, and a name. But, once again, they'd been met with the same statement as at the hospital: No one with the name of Arthur Pendragon, or someone meeting that description, had been checked in. The policeman asked Merlin if he had a picture of his friend, to which Merlin had given the man a blank stare and Crystal had hastily made up some excuse that she couldn't even remember now, thanked the man at the desk and dragged Merlin back out onto the street.

She had started to wish she could get rid of this strange young man, but now as she saw him standing in the cold, damp London air, shivering slightly, and looking so very lost and so very confused, Crystal's heart softened slightly. He was certainly a strange one, but Crystal had been raised to be kind-hearted. And there was something about this boy. Something that compelled her to trust him. Something she couldn't put her finger on.

Merlin sighed heavily and looked up at her.

"I don't know where to look for him," he told her. His voice sounded tired and strained. Crystal frowned in concern. No, not concern. She wasn't _concerned_ for him. He wasn't her friend or anything. She just hated seeing anyone so despondent. "I have to find him. He could be in danger."

"What danger?" she asked him. "Is he…like a fugitive or something?"

"What? No!" he replied, eyes widening in horror as if he was shocked she'd say such a thing. "But….we're not from here."

"I can tell _that_," Crystal muttered, then spoke directly to him. "Where _are_ you from?"

He looked at her, and she could see the fear, the confusion in his blue eyes. He sighed.

"Camelot," he answered. Crystal shifted uncomfortably. And right when she was starting to think that maybe he _wasn't_ a strange escapee from a mental ward…

"Camelot," she repeated, slowly. "Like, what, that place in that Disney movie, _Sword in the Stone_? Or like that _Monty Python_ movie?"

He stared blankly at her, and she shook her head.

"Look, I'm sorry we couldn't find your friend, but it's only two places. Maybe he'll turn up at some point. I need to get back to work. Is there someplace I can drop you? Where do you live?"

"I told you. I'm from-"

"Camelot. Yeah, so you said." Crystal was starting to get annoyed now. She couldn't get any information from this guy! Could he stop being a weirdo for two seconds, just so he could tell her where he lived and she could get _rid_ of him? "Look, I don't know _why_ you think you live – or lived – in Camelot, but maybe you don't know: _there is no Camelot_. None. Maybe one existed, like, thousands of years ago, but they don't have proof. Camelot's a legend. A myth. A story. _It's not real._ So get off it and tell me where you live, 'cos I have a job to get back to and I don't have time to play chauffeur to a weirdo!"

Crystal spewed the entire thing without thinking, and then finally stopped to take a breath. But as soon as those words left her mouth, she immediately regretted it. The look the boy in front of her gave her was such that it made her feel like the worst person in the world. His blue eyes were wide and hurt, filled with confusion and terror. Even though she, too, was shivering in her wet clothes in the damp air, his shivering seemed more pitiful paired with that injured look. It was like she'd just kicked a puppy.

"Look, I'm sorry – " she started, but he cut her off.

"No, I'm sorry," he said. "I…should try to find him myself. Thank you for helping me."

He turned away, glanced around as if trying to choose a direction in which to go. Crystal stood, speechless, daring herself to call him back, but not really sure if she should After all, he was very strange, and maybe it was best if she just let him go so she could get back to her life.

But when he glanced over his shoulder, she briefly caught the fear in his eyes again. She gritted her teeth, one half urging her to call him back, the other half telling her to let him go and get back to work. She _hated_ being conflicted.

Crystal couldn't stand the indecision anymore. The strange boy was obviously very lost, and she was beginning to think there was something wrong with him more than just a mental problem. Perhaps not going as far as thinking he _was_ from Camelot (after all, that was impossible). But….he really did need some help. That much was obvious.

As he started to set off down the street to her left, Crystal jogged after him.

"Wait!" she called. He paused and looked back at her, eyebrows raised. She sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling at you," she apologized. "Do you have a place to go?"

He looked at her like he was considering lying, but she fixed him with a stare. Finally, he lowered his blue eyes to look at his tattered brown boots.

"No," he confessed with a sigh. "I don't."

"Well…" Crystal rubbed the back of her neck. She couldn't believe she was _actually_ going to say this, but he looked so lost, so innocent. If she left him out here on the street like this in the way he was in…it would be like abandoning a puppy. And she _really_ didn't want to see his picture in the paper tomorrow next to an article about "Boy Killed By Car" or something.

"I have to go back to work, but I get off in, like, two hours. You can…" she bit her lip and forced herself to go on. "You can come with me. And….you can stay with me tonight, if you _really_ don't have a place to stay. Maybe tomorrow we'll have better luck finding your friend."

The invitation for him to stay at her flat sounded like the opening of a bad horror movie. But seriously, this boy was _helpless_. She could see it in his eyes. She couldn't leave him on the street alone. He was obviously terrified of cars and though she doubted he was actually from "Camelot", he didn't know his way around. By tomorrow, someone would probably be looking for him and she could get rid of him. But one night on the couch in her flat wouldn't harm anyone.

His eyes widened at the offer.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You don't have to…"

"Shut up before I change my mind," she snapped and motioned to her car. "Now get in. I'll have hell to pay if I'm not back at work by one."

Despite his obvious displeasure at being forced back into the car, his face broke into a wide grin and his eyes seemed to become slightly less fearful. She couldn't help but smiling a little, too. His gratitude was strangely touching.

The two climbed back into the car, and Crystal watched with a half-smile as he seemed to have become more adept at buckling his seatbelt. At least he wasn't _jamming_ it in anymore.

"Thank you so much," he said to her. "For doing this."

"Yeah, sure," she said, but gave him a pointed glare. "Just don't make me regret it."

With that she turned the car back on and started back on the road.

* * *

"Okay, remember," Crystal told Merlin firmly as she led him through a pair of those magical self-opening doors. Merlin still wasn't sure how they opened like that. "Don't get in my way. I work this floor and I just need you to….stand off and don't wander away, okay?"

"Oh, don't worry," Merlin said dryly. "I'm not planning to."

"Good."

As soon as they walked into the "department store" as Crystal had called it, Merlin stopped and stared. It was, by far, the largest store he had ever been in his life. Even the Great Hall back in the castle in Camelot didn't compare to this…place. The floor seemed to stretch on forever, lined with the strangest display of clothes he'd ever seen. So many colours…so many different kinds…he felt out of place in his common clothes. He owned nothing better than a few shirts, coats, a pair or two of trousers, and of course, his neckerchiefs. The sheer _expanse_ of clothing in this place made him feel that he was standing in a store reserved for only high nobility. And yet those who walked the aisles and displays seemed of no higher standing that Crystal herself. And Merlin could tell that she wasn't of noble blood.

"What are you staring at?" Crystal's voice called him back to the present, and she tugged firmly on his sleeve.

"I don't have all day, you know," she said and stalked off. Merlin was forced to follow, as he tried to take in all he could while trying to keep up with the ginger haired girl and try to avoid running into displays.

That didn't always work, and more than once he had to stop and try to replace fallen merchandise he had knocked into before running to catch up with Crystal again.

The girl suddenly came to a halt, and Merlin almost ran into her. He stopped short and looked around her to try and figure what had made her freeze.

A tall, wiry, grey-haired woman in a very strange-looking, but very prim outfit of a straight grey skirt and buttoned grey coat over a white shirt stood with her hands clasped behind her back, staring down at the girl before her.

The very _look_ of the woman was intimidating, and Merlin immediately thought of Uther. He remained silent and watched Crystal carefully.

"Miss Simmons," the woman said, her voice as prim as her outfit. "You are late."

"Yes, sorry," Crystal said, and Merlin noticed her glance around as if she was trying to figure a way to get out of this situation. Merlin wondered who this woman was and why she'd gotten his rescuer so flustered. "I just had a few…things to do."

"I don't give lunch breaks so you can go off and wander the streets in the rain. You look like a drowned rat," the woman continued. Crystal glanced sideways at Merlin, her look dripping with cynicism.

"Wonder why," she muttered. Merlin figured the comment was for him, but the woman followed her gaze. Her already hard blue eyes turned even harder at taking in Merlin, who was half-hidden behind Crystal.

"And who," she demanded. "is that?"

Crystal looked back at Merlin, eyes wide, obviously trying to think of something to say. Merlin looked from Crystal to the woman before them and back again, mouth open, no excuses coming to him.

"He's my…" Crystal said, looking forward once more. "My…uh…boyfriend. Yeah."

Merlin's eyes widened in horror. _That_ was the best she could think of? _His_ excuses were better than that!

The woman raised one thin, white eyebrow.

"Boyfriend?" she asked slowly.

Crystal nodded, much to Merlin's chagrin.

"Yes," she replied. "His name's…Mike."

Merlin blinked. _Mike_?

"Ah," the woman studied Merlin for a long time before turning her eyes back to the girl before her. "And just what, Miss Simmons, is your boyfriend…_Mike_, doing here, during your working hours?"

"He…wanted…to…" Merlin could tell that Crystal was at a loss, and once more looked to him, this time clearly _begging_ for help. But the warlock was far too shocked by the fact that she'd introduced him as her _boyfriend_ to think of much else and simply stared at her with horror.

"He…wanted to wait here for me, 'cos he's taking me out after I finish work," Crystal finally spat out. "We're going on holiday together."

The woman glared at Crystal, and at the look even Merlin was pulled enough out of his shock to be intimidated by her.

"I do not care about your weekend plans, Miss Simmons," the woman drawled. "But please make sure that…_Mike_ does not interfere with your work this afternoon. This is a department store, Miss Simmons, not a school cafeteria."

"Of course," Crystal said, and grabbed Merlin's arm in such an iron grip that he couldn't escape. She dragged him away from the hawk-eyes of the grey-haired woman, but Merlin couldn't help but stare at her as he passed. The woman locked her blue eyes onto him as he passed and Merlin swallowed hard. Even in passing, it seemed like she was looking straight into his very soul, as if she could read his thoughts. She said nothing, however, and simply turned and watched them leave. Merlin turned to see where he was going, but he could still feel her eyes on his back.

However, his mind turned back to Crystal's excuse which he felt needed to be addressed.

"_Boyfriend_?" he demanded once they were out of earshot. "That was the best you could do?"

"Well, you weren't exactly helping," she snapped back. "And it was the first thing that popped into my mind. Besides, she won't care."

"Oh, _she_ won't care," Merlin muttered. "And that's all that matters." A few other thoughts went through his mind as well, but he held his tongue. After all, he barely knew this girl, and he couldn't talk to her like he did Arthur. Besides, she _had_ helped him.

Crystal _hmmph_'ed and finally released his arm. He rubbed it with the opposite hand, trying to get the circulation going again. She had one _heck_ of a grip.

"Who was that?" he asked after a moment. "Your mistress?"

"What?" Crystal gave him that look, once again, like he had grown a second head. He was beginning to get used to it. "No. She's my boss. Ms Payne. Stay out of her way."

Merlin laughed slightly.

"Name suits her," he said. Crystal rolled her eyes.

"You have no idea."

By that time, they'd reached a large, round counter with a sign having over it that read "_Customer Service". _Merlin blinked up at it and watched as Crystal set herself up behind the counter and gave him a pointed look.

"I have work to do," she said. "I'll be done by three. Until then, stay out of my way and out of Ms Payne's way. Can I trust you to do that?"

Merlin nodded solemnly.

"Yes," he replied. She nodded.

"Good. Now shove off and make sure you're back here by three. I guess I'll let you stay in my flat tonight until I can figure out what to do with you. Kay?"

"Got it," Merlin agreed with what he hoped was an honest grin. He turned round on his heel in a slow circle, looking for something to occupy himself with in this strange place. He knew it wouldn't be hard to find _something_. He wanted to explore the strange merchandise and quickly picked a direction and set off in it. What he didn't see was at the counter behind him, Crystal put her head in her hands.

"What did I get myself into?" she muttered to herself.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed that, because I sure enjoyed writing it. Haha. Make sure to check back on Friday, when I'll be posting again! Twice a week now, yay! See you guys later ;)


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N:** As promised, now updating on both Friday and Monday. Hooray!

Sorry, though, for the shorter chapter. This is another "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch" chapters, if you will, but it _is_ neccessary. Hope you enjoy anyways. ;)

* * *

**Chapter 6-In Which Two Witches Discuss Time Again**

Morgana stood at her window and gazed down at the guards as they scurried around the courtyard of the castle, hurrying to the streets of the lower town to search the homes of the people there for the missing prince. Torchlight played over their metal armor, and their red capes fluttered in the night breeze as they marched in formation with grim haste. The corners of Morgana's mouth tugged upwards. All was going well.

"My lady?"

Gwen's voice was gentle and tinged with anxiety. Morgana turned around to see the servant girl standing behind her, hands folded, eyes tired and worried.

"I was just thinking," Morgana said with a light smile. She let it fade however, her brow creasing in what she hoped looked to be worry"They still haven't found Arthur."

Gwen looked down at her feet, and Morgana watched her carefully. After a moment, the servant recovered herself.

"I'll ready your bed," she said, but Morgana shook her head.

"I won't be sleeping yet," the noble lady said, looking back through the window down at the guards below. "That will be all, Gwen."

For a moment, Gwen looked out the same window Morgana stood by, her eyes distant and worried.

"Do you think they'll find them?" she asked, softly, voice wavering just a tiny bit. Morgana smiled sympathetically at her maidservant.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure everything will be okay."

Gwen tried to smile in agreement and curtsied to her mistress before turning and leaving. Once the door to her chambers swung closed, Morgana looked back out the misted glass window and smirked. She'd see Morgause tonight, and tell her that her plan had indeed come through.

She only hoped the dissapearence of _Merlin_ wouldn't be an issue.

* * *

Morgana waited for the right time before she dared to sneak out into the dark corridors of the castle to make her way to Morgause's chosen meeting place. Her beloved sister had told her to meet her in the dungeons. Morgana had been wary at first of such a location to meet. After all, wouldn't the guards be able to see them? But as she had thought about it, she realized that Morgause had made a good decision. The guards would be searching the town for signs of Arthur, not in the dungeons tonight. And it would have been too dangerous for Morgana to leave the castle with the knights searching like they were. It was best they held their meeting inside Camelot.

Morgana pulled the hood of her purple cape over her head and slipped off down the hall. She liked to wear a cape when sneaking around. It made her feel better hidden. Even just sneaking through the castle tonight, she preferred to wear it.

It didn't take long to reach the dungeons, and Morgana found them safely clear of any guards. She found herself wondering if Morgause had taken measures to make sure that any guards unlucky enough to be present for their reunion were dispatched. But Morgana didn't think about that. After all, they were just _guards_.

A shadow moved in her peripheral vision, and Morgana turned to find her blonde-haired sister standing, waiting for her, the light of a torch playing over her face. At seeing each other, both women's faces immediately lit up, and they embraced. Morgause pulled away first.

"What news do you bring me, Sister?" she asked, her voice soft even in the empty chambers. Morgana spoke with the same volume.

"Your plan worked," she said. "Arthur disappeared this morning, and our famous Knights of Camelot have been unable to find him."

"Excellent," Morgause said. "You have done well."

But Morgana's eyes betrayed her thoughts, and Morgause immediately noticed the slight crease of her brow, the slight uncertain glimmer in her grey-green eyes.

"But something is troubling you," she said, her own brow furrowing in interest and worry. "What is it, Sister?"

"It's Arthur's servant, Merlin," Morgana told her sister. "When I said the spell…Merlin ran in and grabbed the bracelet, too. They both vanished. Arthur's _servant_ is now with him in the future."

"That boy has been a constant problem for us," Morgause growled, turning from her sister. Morgana stepped forward.

"Could Merlin be able to ruin our plans?" she asked. "Surely it's not possible. He's just a servant."

"But he's smarter than he looks," Morgause reminded her. "I think precautions should be taken."

"What are you going to do?" Morgana was slightly worried for her sister. Morgause turned back to Uther's daughter.

"I will go into the future as well," she said. "I will find Arthur and make sure that this _Merlin_ doesn't even have the chance to find a way to get his prince back to their own time. I won't let a simple _servant_ ruin all we've worked for."

At Morgause's words, Morgana grabbed her sister's hands, a deep fear gripping the young girl's heart.

"You will go into the future, as well?" she asked. "Won't that be dangerous?"

"I have seen the future, Morgana," Morgause soothed her sister. "I will be able to find my way."

"How will you find Arthur?"

"The bracelet will have left a mark on him," Morgause told her. "A magical signal that I will easily be able to trace. It will not be hard to find our young Pendragon."

"But, are you sure it will be safe?"

"Trust me, Sister," the blonde woman told the younger girl. "The future may be strange, but it is no more or less dangerous than the present."

Morgause reached into the folds of her cape, just as she had the previous night when she had presented Morgana with the silver bracelet.

And just as before, she produced a similar bracelet. Morgana's eyes widened.

"You said that the bracelets were very rare," Morgana said with awe. "How do you have another?"

"I have my ways, Sister," Morgause simply replied, her brown eyes sparkling. "Trust me. I will find our young prince and make sure that not even that meddling servant of his can save him."

At the thought of Arthur's death, Morgana's fears for her sister stilled a little. She smiled and grasped Morgause's hands in hers.

"Arthur will never be a nuisance to us again?" she asked, hopefully. Morgause smiled at her younger sister.

"I promise, Sister," she replied. "Arthur will never see Camelot again."

Morgana's smile broadened and she watched as Morgause stepped back and held the silver bracelet up in front of her. The flickering light of the torch played over the glowing blue gem set in its center, identical to the one Morgana had used to send Arthur – and Merlin – far away. Now she watched as Morgause prepared to do the same.

"_Amser aros am unrhyw ddyn,"_ Morgause chanted, and Morgana watched the magical golden flash color her brown irises. Suddenly, a strange mist seemed to swirl out of nowhere, wrapping around the blonde-haired sorceress and hiding her from view. Morgana gasped and stepped back in surprise, and there was the same flash of light as there had been when Arthur and Merlin had disappeared. Morgana raised her arm to shield her face from the blinding flash, closing her eyes and turning away. After a moment, she lowered her hand and looked tentatively at the place where moment before, her sister had stood.

But Morgause was gone.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Hello again, everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far, as much as it amuses me to write it. It's certainly encouraging to see all the New Favorite and New Follower emails that I get. Thank you to all who have read and decided that this story is worth continuing to read.

And, yes, in this chapter, I _do_ incorporate a reference to one of my other favorite TV show. Which I hope you will like.

Now on to the story!

* * *

**Chapter 7- Which Involves Police and British Sci-fi**

Arthur was exhausted. Exhausted, annoyed, and confused. Not a good combination.

He had searched all day for his missing manservant, through the streets of this strange and dangerous world. He had never felt so lost in his life. Everything that he knew was gone. Nothing was the same as it had been in his world, in Camelot.

At first, he had attempted to find his own way, certain that if he could find the gates of this strange city, filled with racing metal carts that were not pulled by horses and people in strange clothing talking to little shiny boxes that they held up to their faces, he'd find that outside the world was exactly the same as his own.

But the city streets kept going on and on, lined by the strangest stores he'd ever seen, jammed with metal carts that made ferocious sounds and almost hit him several times. He could see no castle, no matter where he looked. All the buildings were so tall that it seemed he wouldn't have been able to catch the glimmer of a castle anyway. These buildings seemed to reach up to the sky. And no matter where he went, he couldn't seem to find any sort of city gates.

Finally, though he hated doing so, he had forced himself to stop a passerby and ask. But no matter who it was, he was always greeted with the same response when he asked for the whereabouts of Camelot: an annoyed or frightened glance, a muttered answer of "I don't know", and then the person would scurry off away from him.

Arthur was confused. How did no one seem to know where Camelot was? Camelot was the strongest of the five kingdoms, and he knew that its reputation was well known far beyond even its bordering kingdoms, through most of the known world. So how did these people not know of his home?

By the time the sun had set, Arthur was close to giving up. He'd circled back around to the grassy area he'd first woken up in, and had collapsed, exhausted, soaking wet from the rain, and hungry, on a bench near a lamp that seemed to be burning without a flame. By this point, Arthur had definitely decided that this was a world of magic he found himself in. It was the only explanation. A world of sorcerers, which meant he and Merlin were in even worse danger than he had first thought.

At the thought of his still missing manservant, Arthur groaned and rubbed his temples. He _knew_ that Merlin had vanished with him. But where _was_ he? Though Arthur knew Merlin wasn't his friend or anything – of course not – he did feel slightly concerned for the boy. Not, of course he wasn't _concerned_. He just didn't want to have to face Gaius and tell him that he beloved ward had been killed in a foreign world.

Of course, he'd only have to worry about that if he ever got back to Camelot in the first place.

Arthur sighed and forced himself to stand once more. The world was dark now, and it seemed that there were slightly fewer people now wandering the streets. He stared off for a time at the line of businesses on the other side of the smooth, black road which the metal carts seemed mostly to use. Without really thinking about it, he began to walk forward, his eyes tracing the names that hung over the store fronts or were painted on the wide windows. His gaze wandered further down as he walked, unknowingly, into the road.

He didn't see the metal cart hurtling towards him until it was almost too late.

Light made him look round to see one of the huge metal contraptions bearing down on him. Arthur jumped back, eyes wide, years of hard training allowing him to keep his balance even through his shock. The horseless cart swerved, barely missing him, but there was a screech and a sickening _crunch_ of metal and Arthur watched with bemusement as the very cart that had only barely missed plowing him over swerved into two carts traveling the opposite direction. Arthur stood and stared at the scene before him, the crumpled metal in the road, the sight of other metal carts stopping as travelers came to gape at the accident.

After a moment, the young prince finally came to his senses and started forward to help the victims who may have been hurt in the incident he may have caused. However, he was stopped by a strong arm on his shoulder.

"Didn't see that car coming?" a deep voice resonated in his right ear. Arthur turned round to see a man in about his forties in what struck Arthur as an official uniform staring down at him with less than amusement in his eyes.

"I guess I was distracted, I'm sorry," Arthur said, rather flippantly, the prince in him telling him that he needed to get over to those crumpled carts – or had the man just called them _cars_? – and assist the victims. He turned away and tried to walk off, but the same hand stopped him again.

"There isn't a crosswalk here," the man said. "If you'd gone a little farther down the street, you could have crossed there."

Arthur wasn't really sure why this man was telling him this. He honestly didn't particularly care, and he wasn't entirely sure what a "crosswalk" was anyways.

"I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner," Arthur said, once more twisting out of the man's grasp and once again attempting to reach the _car_ accident. His attention was drawn to the sight of flashing lights and an annoying high pitched sound like a very annoying bird. A car different from those that were trying to edge around the accident or were simply stopped to watch, pulled up beside the three now-mangled horseless carriages. The flashing light emanated from his car, and Arthur could see the word "_Police"_ painted across the metal body. But he was unable to see anymore, as the man who had persistently kept trying to stop him once more grabbed Arthur's shoulder and this time spun him around to face him.

"There are people over there who need help," Arthur said, getting very much annoyed. "I don't care about _crosswalks _when there are injured people."

"Sir, have you been drinking tonight?" the man asked him in a voice that made him feel immediately defensive. He was studying him, too, and Arthur did _not_ like to be stared at like that. He could feel the stress of the day catching up to him, and this man with his frivolous questions and his patronizing tone were doing nothing to help Arthur's already bad mood.

"What does that matter?" Arthur almost shouted at the man. He gestured to the heap of crumpled metal. "There are _people_ in those things! Let me go!"

"I think you need to come with me," the man said and reached towards Arthur. But Arthur was having none of this. He parried the man's oncoming hand with his arm, then spun and ran. He wasn't surprised to see the man running behind him, after him. Arthur didn't know what he wanted, but there was no way he was going to capture Arthur. He was probably a bandit or something. Arthur wasn't going to fall to him.

Unfortunately, he hadn't expected that one of the cars edging its way around the wreck nearby would come speeding at him. He had a brief moment of déjà vu when he was once more in the light emanating from the front of the car. Arthur leaped to the side, but his attempts at steering clear of the metal cart found him being pressed to the ground by the man whom he had only just escaped.

Arthur struggled wildly as he felt the man pull his hands behind his back like he was going to tie him up.

"We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way," the man told him. Arthur attempted to get out from under his attacker, but this one was stronger than he looked.

"Let me go!" Arthur demanded. "I'm warning you, I'm the prince of Camelot!"

He felt something cold and metal against his wrists and he found that his hands were bound behind his back. The man pulled him up to his feet, pushed him in the direction of a car similar to the one he'd seen earlier, with "Police" emblazoned across it. Arthur attempted to fight his way out of the man's grip, but he soon found himself slammed up against the side of the car.

"You have the right to remain silent," the man told him simply before opening a door in the side of the car and forcing the young prince inside.

"I told you that we could do this the easy way," the man told him. "Or the hard way. Now you're going to come with me on a little ride."

Arthur struggled against his bonds, but the door was shut in his face. Arthur could only hope that he'd be able to find his way out of this strange situation in time to find his manservant before Merlin, too, found himself in similar peril.

If he hadn't found danger already, of course.

* * *

There was the sound of dinging, and Merlin looked up from his seat at a rather cluttered table to see Crystal step into her small kitchen, walk up to a small white box with buttons on it she'd called a _microwave_ and open the door on the box's front. She pulled a shiny black tray from inside and pulled off the clear film from atop the package, then returned to where Merlin sat and placed the tray in front of him.

Merlin studied it cautiously, rather mystified. Only moments ago she'd pulled a box containing a similar tray from a _freezer_ as she'd called it. And unless Merlin had been very much mistaken, the tray had been frozen solid as a rock. He'd heard it clunk as she'd placed it inside the microwave's interior. Now, however, it sat in front of him, steaming hot.

"Sorry it's not much," she apologized, apparently taking the confused look with which he studied the strange-smelling, steaming food within the black tray as disappointment. "But it's all I got right now."

Merlin lifted the flimsy white fork she'd give him and poked the recently heated meal suspiciously, like he was waiting for it to move.

"What is it?" he asked. He'd never seen anything like it before. This time, she didn't give him a strange glance but just turned and walked back into the kitchen to place another frozen meal into the microwave.

"It's lasagna," she answered. That, of course, did not answer Merlin's question in the slightest.

True to her word, Crystal had brought him back to her home – her _flat – _after she'd finished work. Merlin was still not used to riding in her car, and by the time they'd reached the tall, block-like building within which she lived, the warlock was feeling less than well. She barely noticed and led him up three flights of stairs and down a long hall to her door, 308. The entire way she'd been reiterating to him the fact that his staying with her was "_only for tonight_", that he'd _"be sleeping on the couch"_, and that he was _not_ to get any _"ideas_". Merlin wasn't particularly sure what "ideas" she kept talking about, but he was just grateful that not only was he out of that car, he also wouldn't have to worry about sleeping on the street tonight in the rain.

Of course, after walking into the tiny living space, he wasn't so sure if the street was such a terrible idea.

The flat was tiny, with a tight living area, a bedroom off to the side, and a small kitchen attached to the living area. Merlin suspected that Arthur's chambers back in Camelot were larger. And, like Arthur's chambers had looked after Merlin had returned from being stung by the Serket, the flat was, well, a mess.

Crystal had muttered some apology about the state of things (and Gaius got onto _him_ about keeping a messy room), pushed some dirty dishes to one side of a rather flimsy looking table, and told him she'd find something for them to eat. Merlin had sat at one of the only two chairs at the table and had been forced to wait while she'd scoured her cupboards, and the strange white box she'd called a _refrigerator,_ which seemed to be very cold, for provisions.

All in all, Merlin did know he should be grateful. But he also knew that Arthur was still out there somewhere, and if he knew Morgana and Morgause, he knew the two wouldn't leave well enough alone.

The microwave dinged again, and Crystal took her own meal out of it and sat down at the second chair at the table. She immediately dug into her own food without any hesitation.

"Thank you," Merlin said, beginning to pick at his own food, _lasagna_. "For this."

Crystal glanced up and shrugged.

"Sure," she answered after swallowing. "Don't know why I _am_ helping, though. I guess I just….I dunno."

She sighed and looked down at her meal like she was going to take another bite, then stopped. Barely audibly, she whispered, "I guess I just thought it's something my mum would have done."

Merlin took a careful bite of the lasagna, but found it rather palatable. He looked at Crystal, his blue eyes gentle.

"I understand," he told her. She said nothing for a while, and a strange silence fell over the table. Merlin took another bite of the steaming food, his stomach settling after the car ride. Finally, she sniffed and looked back up.

"I'm sorry you couldn't find your friend," she said. "Are you two, like, travelers or something? That's why you didn't have a place to stay?"

Merlin laughed softly.

"Something like that," he agreed. Crystal nodded.

"I wanted to travel for a while," Crystal said with a half-smile. "Never did, though."

Merlin cocked his head to the side, interested.

"Why not?" he said, reaching to maybe create some friendly conversation between them. Crystal shook her head.

"Life happens," she replied. "Sometimes things just come up and….you can't do anything about it."

Merlin agreed with a chuckle.

"I know what that's like," he said. "What happened?"

Crystal stared down at her dinner as if it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

"Money ran out," she admitted. "Mum died when I was ten. She left us some money, me and my older brother. But not too much. He worked all the time during school to help us, but it was never enough. By the time I graduated school, there wasn't enough for me to go to college or go traveling anywhere further than down the street. My brother and I had a little misunderstanding. He left. I moved out of our old flat and got this one. Been trying to keep up with bills ever since."

Merlin nodded in response to her story. He understood the difficulties of living on little to nothing.

"We didn't have much, either," he told her. "It was just my mother and me, trying to keep enough food on the table."

"No father?" she asked. Merlin shook his head.

"Not when I was living at home," he said. "I met him just a year ago, just before he died."

Merlin sighed, the memories of that brief time with his father coming back to his mind. He hadn't talked about meeting Balinor for a long time, and though it had been a year ago that the Dragon lord had died in Merlin's arms, it didn't make it any less painful.

"My dad left not long after I was born," Crystal told him. "I just…."

She trailed off suddenly, and Merlin's brow furrowed.

"What?" he asked. She shook her head like she was coming out of a trance.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this," she said, standing and grabbing the now-empty food tray. She stalked back into the kitchen and tossed it away. Merlin leaned forward.

"It's okay," he said as she passed. "I understand."

"No, you don't," Crystal said, her voice suddenly becoming deadly serious. She stopped and glared at him. "I don't talk about this to _anyone_. _Especially_ not complete strangers."

Merlin sighed as she walked past and flopped rather ungracefully down on the worn couch in the center of the living space. Merlin stood and decided he was finished with his meal and well, and did as she had done, depositing the tray and fork in a white metal container with a black bag in it. He glanced around the kitchen which was just as messy as the rest of the house, wondering if Arthur's quarters would look the same if he didn't have his manservant to clean them for him.

Sudden voices made the warlock start and Merlin came out of the kitchen to find Crystal curled on the couch, a long, black device in her hand with many buttons on it pointed at a black box that sat before her from which the voices seemed to be emanating.

Cautiously, Merlin edged forward to see what strange new thing _this_ was. Now closer, he could clearly see images flashing across the box's glass front. His eyes widened. _Moving pictures._ With _sound_. What was this thing?

Crystal briefly glanced up at him, and rolled her eyes at his obviously slightly scared, slightly worried expression.

"Seriously?" she asked flatly. "You've never seen a _TV_, either? Where've you been living, with a caveman?"

Merlin wasn't quite certain what she meant, but he lowered himself down onto the rather saggy couch and watched with a strange interest as Crystal lowered the device and immediately became engrossed in this strange moving picture which seemed to be telling a story.

And so went the rest of the night. Crystal sat, staring at the strange moving picture show, which, after a little while of tense debate with himself over whether to watch as well or refuse to succumb to the strange entertainment, Merlin found himself beginning to _enjoy_ the shows the girl was watching, including one that fascinated him the most about a strange man in a blue box called the Doctor. It seemed to be Crystal's favourite as well, as she prattled on to Merlin about different episodes of the show until Merlin's head was practically swimming with information.

Despite his interest in the TV and its programmes, as Crystal called them, the events of the day began to catch up with the warlock and he found his eyelids growing heavier and felt himself succumbing to sleep.

He must have dozed off, for he was suddenly awakened by a hand shaking his shoulder and Crystal calling his name. He opened his eyes to see her standing over him, holding a blanket and a pillow. The TV was off, and the only light was from the bedroom door that was open.

"You look tired," Crystal said. "I thought I'd bring you something to sleep on."

She handed him the bundle and Merlin nodded gratefully.

"Thanks," he said. She shrugged.

"Bathroom's connected with my bedroom, so you'd better use it now 'cos I'm locking my door tonight."

Merlin shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said, rather sleepily. She nodded stiffly and turned, before stopping and glancing back around, even as Merlin was wrestling his boots off and unfolding the blanket.

"Merlin," she said, as if not quite certain about using his name. He glanced up. She bit her lip.

"I should say thank you," she said. "It's been a bit lonely without my brother lately. It's just…it's been kind of nice having someone to talk to."

Merlin half-smiled.

"Yeah, you're welcome," he said, not quite awake enough to give a real answer. She looked like she was about to say something else, but decided not to. She turned and walked towards her bedroom, then paused just inside the door.

"I should warn you," she said. "I have my mobile in my room at the ready. _And_ I keep a baseball bat near my bed. Just to let you know."

Merlin's brow creased in confusion, not knowing what _either_ or those things were, but taking both as a threat. Without waiting for his response, she shut the door and Merlin was left in the darkness of the flat's living area. The warlock sighed, shoving the pillow under his head and spreading the blanket out over himself. He rolled onto his back, stretching out across the saggy, threadbare couch, and stared at the ceiling.

He could only wonder where Arthur was, and hoped that the prat was alright. Thoughts of finding Arthur were the last thoughts that circled through the sleepy manservant's mind as his eyelids fluttered closed and he succumbed to his weariness.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Tune in Friday for Chapter 8! I'll give you a hint: I get to torture Merlin with more car rides. And this time at semi-high speeds. ;)


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Suprisingly, I have no witty comments to entertain you with today. So just enjoy the story. :)

* * *

**Chapter 8- In Which There is an (Almost) Epic Car Chase**

The door to the back bedroom creaked open and one half-asleep, too-big sweatshirt and sweatpants clad Crystal walked out, her red-brown hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She rubbed her brown eyes and looked at her couch to find that, indeed, the strange young man she'd left there last night was still spread across the only real piece of furniture she owned, the blanket she'd given him draped over him as he snored gently. Crystal half-smiled. Asleep, he looked even more innocent than he had when he'd begged her to help him. She could almost forget what a strange weirdo he was.

She decided to let him sleep and walked over to the door of her flat, which she opened and leaned over to pick the daily newspaper off the floor out there. She wasn't particularly sure why she still subscribed to the newspaper. She honestly wasn't that interested in the news of the world, but still, she paid her dues to it monthly, and it ended up outside her door daily. Whatever.

She threw it down on her table and briefly glanced back to see that her guest was waking, blinking at his surroundings with confusion as though he wasn't quite sure how he'd gotten there. Crystal smirked and leaned against the countertop in her kitchen.

"Good morning," she called to him. He looked over at her, and his eyes suddenly widened as though everything had just come back to him.

"I have to find Arthur," was his response, and she watched as he threw off his blanket and clambered to his feet.

"Yeah, your friend, I remember," she said. "Relax. We'll look for him this morning. Then maybe I can finally get rid of you."

She mumbled the last bit to herself, and hoped he hadn't heard. She flicked open one of her cabinets and found the ubiquitous box of granola bars, which she snatched the last two out of. Taking the box down from its shelf, she searched it to make sure that there were absolutely none left and sighed.

"Great," she muttered. "Grocery shopping. More bills." She walked past the turned-over _Rent Due_ warning and tossed one of the bars at the boy, who, not surprisingly, didn't catch it.

"Granola bar," she said before he could ask (seriously, where had this kid been all his life?). "We'll search for your friend after breakfast. You're lucky today's Saturday or I'd just dump you off to look for him yourself."

She watched him fiddle with the wrapper out of the corner of her eye as she unfolded the newspaper and flicked through it.

"Thank you," she heard him say and she sighed.

"I told you, it's really nothing," she pretended to be too interested in her newspaper to pay much attention to him, and he seemed to get the picture. A rather awkward silence fell over the two, broken only by Merlin's careful munching on his granola bar.

Crystal flipped a page in the newspaper, and suddenly laughed. Merlin glanced up briefly from his breakfast and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked. Crystal chuckled and looked up at him.

"Merlin, come here," she said, getting more used to saying his name (even though it was very strange. Who names there kid _Merlin_?). The black-haired boy stood and walked over to her, a look of worried interest on his face. Crystal pointed to the sidebar article printed on the paper.

"Looks like you're not the only weirdo to have turned up yesterday," she teased, wondering at what point she'd become "friends" enough with this strange young man to actually start _teasing_ him. Merlin fixed his eyes on the article she was indicating. The name of the clip was written in large, black letters and read, "MAN ARRESTED IN THREE-CAR PILEUP". But it had been the story that had made Crystal laugh, as it detailed the young man who had apparently stepped into the line of traffic, caused one car to swerve into two others, and when an officer had attempted to stop him for a sobriety test, he had hit the officer and run. After being restrained, the man had called himself the "Prince of Camelot", demanding to be released. He had been taken in for possible drunk and disorderly conduct as well as resisting arrest. His picture followed the article.

"Prince of Camelot," she snickered. "Maybe he's from the same insane asylum you're from."

It had been a joke, but Merlin didn't answer. She glanced over at him to see that his eyes were wide, brow furrowed, blue eyes locked on the picture of the young man who had been arrested.

"Merlin?" she asked.

"That's him," Merlin said slowly. "That's Arthur. That's Arthur!"

He looked up at her, eyes suddenly bright and excited. She stepped back.

"You've _got_ to be kidding," she said. "Your friend is a lunatic who thinks he's the prince of Camelot?"

"We have to get him out of there," Merlin was practically climbing the walls with a mixture of excitement and worry, as he ran his hands through his black hair. Crystal's mouth dropped open.

"Did you not read the article?" she demanded. "He's in _jail_. That means the only way you can get him out is by paying _bail._ Do you have the money for bail? Cos I sure don't!"

"What? Money?" he said, giving her only a brief glance before returning to his own line of thoughts. He stepped towards her, his eyes pleading.

"Please, we have to get him out," he said. "He could be in danger."

Crystal sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Fine," she muttered. "We'll visit him, but I'm not posting bail for him. And if you decide to break him out, I am _not_ helping."

"Sure, fine," Merlin said, but she was pretty sure he hadn't heard her. "We have to get back to Camelot. Something really bad's going on."

Crystal groaned. Weirdos. She was getting herself involved with _weirdos._ And yet, she still remembered the black haired boy's pleading look yesterday when she'd told him to buzz off and leave her alone. She couldn't see him look that sad again, and she hated the fact that she just couldn't seem to say no to him. But…the sooner she got him back with his friend, the sooner she'd get him out of _her_ flat.

"Let me put on something different," she said, stalking back towards her bedroom. "And we'll leave. Don't make me regret this."

She gave him a withering glare before slamming the door of her room and beginning to rifle through her wardrobe for some decent clothes so she could go break a man out of jail.

_This just gets better and better,_ she thought sarcastically.

* * *

Across a sidewalk of London strode a tall, thin woman, her blonde hair billowing out behind her as she walked, her brown eyes intensely focused on the path ahead of her. As she passed other pedestrians, they paused and gave her brief, odd glances, their eyes drawn to her strange attire: the long, flowing gown covered by the similarly flowing cape. And yet she did not care.

Morgause was on a mission.

She'd arrived in this time only hours ago, and much to her pleasure she had immediately felt the tingle of magic in the back of her mind. She had focused on it, and soon she was able to feel just where Arthur Pendragon was, could see the path in her mind of how to get to him.

The bracelet had done its work. The mark it had left on him would make him a walking target. Now no matter where he went, she would find him. Even if he discarded the bracelet, she would still be able to track him by the powerful magic it had left behind on him.

As Morgause walked, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. This time may be strange and different, but there was one thing that did not, would not, would never change: and that was magic. It would always be the same, as it was the power of the Earth. Magic never changed.

And because of that, Morgause would find her enemy, and kill him.

Of course, here in this world she would have to be careful. Though the idiocy of people does not change, the technology does, and Morgause knew that with the all-seeing eyes that were called "Cameras" mounted near shops and on street corners, she would have to be careful with how and where she disposed of the young prince for good.

Morgause paused in her walk and closed her eyes, focused on the magic that beckoned her. Her lips once again twitched in a smile. She was close. Very close.

She strode down the street and paused, the magic strong now, pulsing in her mind. She raised her eyes to the buildings that stood near her, and her gaze settled on one which stood tall against the others. Words above its glass door proclaimed it to be "City of London Police". Morgause wasn't precisely certain what Police were (though she hated admitting that she didn't know something) but if this was where Arthur was, then she would find him.

She thrust open one of the clear glass doors with her hand and strode in, the hood of her cape bouncing around her shoulders as she walked. The interior of this place was barren and official, and a few men in odd uniforms strode around apparently attending to whatever business they did here. A counter stretched ahead of her, and one uniformed man set behind it, busily pressing buttons on a strange glass-fronted box that Morgause may or may not have heard called a "computer". Whatever it was for, she did not care.

The man at the desk looked up as she attempted to walk past into the building beyond.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice thickly accented. "Can I help you?"

Morgause turned sharp brown eyes to him, which narrowed at his appearance. She glanced around at the officers around her and smirked slightly.

"No, I don't think you can," she answered. The man opened his mouth to reply, but Morgause's eyes flashed gold and he and the others standing around him all froze as if time had stopped. Morgause laughed sharply and strode forward, this time unhindered by these strange men in uniform. It was time for her work to begin.

* * *

Merlin still did not entirely like the idea of car travel, but at least his stomach was a little calmer than yesterday. Still, every time Crystal took a corner at high speed, or braked suddenly, or changed lanes, Merlin found himself gripping his knees so hard that his knuckled were turning white. He was fairly certain he'd have finger-shaped bruises on his legs by the time the ride was over.

Seeing Arthur's picture in Crystal's newspaper had filled the warlock with excitement. Yesterday had been one of the worst days in the young man's life. Being thrown in to a completely different world, wandering the streets aimlessly, running into a girl, trying to find Arthur amongst a city he had never seen before, and hopelessly failing to do so had put his nerves on edge. All Merlin wanted to do was make sure Arthur was alright and get the heck out of this world and back to Camelot before something extraordinarily terrifying occurred.

Crystal turned another corner, and after recovering from that, Merlin suddenly became aware of a strange sensation in the back of his mind. He blinked and glanced around. It was not unlike the feeling he'd had when Arthur had opened the box with the bracelet inside of it. The feeling that strong magic was close by. His heart thudded madly against his ribs. If he could feel the bracelet's magic in his mind, that certainly meant that Arthur was close by!

Finally, Crystal yanked the steering wheel of the car and pulled them into a parallel parking space near a building with the words "City of London Police" above its glass doors. Crystal and Merlin both clambered out of the car and onto the sidewalk, made their way to this place that was hopefully where Arthur would be. Merlin's heart beat faster in anticipation, though he never would have expected he'd ever be so happy to see that prat.

Just like the day before, Crystal lead him up to the desk in the entrance of the building. An officer seated there looked up and smiled as they approached.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his words heavily accented. Crystal stepped forward, taking control of the situation just as she had done yesterday. She smiled sweetly at the officer.

"We're here to visit a man," she said. "Named Arthur Pendragon? The one in the papers this morning. He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and resisting arrest?"

The man behind the desk studied them for a moment with confusion, and then shook his head.

"Sorry, never heard the name, and I don't believe we have a man who fits that description on record."

Merlin blinked.

_But the newspaper in Crystal's flat had said…._

"Are you sure?" Crystal pressed. The man nodded, but checked on his computer anyways.

"Nope, no one here by that name or description," he said. Crystal turned to Merlin and motioned to him to hand over the article she'd cut out, just in case they needed the picture. He pulled it from his tattered leather jacket and handed it over, and Crystal held it out to the officer.

"This article says he was taken here," she said. "And you're saying you've never seen this man" – she pointed to the picture – "before?"

The officer looked at the article and shook his head.

"I think you must have been mistaken," he said. "No one like that is being held here. I'm sorry."

Crystal began to try to reason with him, but something distracted Merlin's attention from the conversation. The sensation in the back of his mind suddenly grew from an annoying tingle to a massive clanging. He slowly turned around, closing his eyes and trying to catch just where the source of the sensation was coming from. He opened his eyes again, and, gazing out the glass of the door into the Police building, he caught the sight of something that made his stomach clench.

Down the street, a cloaked figure was half-dragging, half-carrying a blonde figure along, in a way that told Merlin the cloaked figure was trying (and failing) to do this as inconspicuously as possible.

But it was the blonde figure that caused the blood to drain from the warlock's face. That was most definitely Arthur.

"Crystal!" he said, catching the girl's elbow and yanking her away from her conversation with the officer. She turned sharply, brown eyes annoyed.

"What?" she demanded. He pointed out the door, pulling her along behind him.

"That's him!" he said. "That's Arthur!"

"Wha – " she started again, but her words were cut off. Merlin's eyes widened as he watched the hooded figure (who, he wasn't quite sure but he had a fairly good idea of who its was) stretch their arm out in the direction of one of the cars parked by the side of the road. The figure then yanked open one of the back doors, slung Arthur's limp body into the interior of the car, before yanking open the driver's side door and clambering in themself. For a moment, Merlin's heart rose at the thought that there was no way the figure was going to be able to start the car, let alone drive it, but his hopes were soon dashed when he heard the noise of the car turn over and the sight of the vehicle being pulled from its parking spot, albeit ungracefully. It collided with the car parked in front of it before pulling out onto the street.

Merlin blanched. Whoever had Arthur in that car, they were using magic.

"We have to go after them!" Merlin declared, turning to Crystal. The girl's eyes widened in horror.

"Are you _insane_?" she demanded. "You want me to chase them? I can't afford a speeding ticket!"

"We don't have time!" Merlin said, pushing her towards her own car. He heard the girl grunt with exasperation, but eventually gave in, starting the car just as Merlin was climbing into his side. With a lurch, she pulled her car out into the street, and, though rather less than fast due to the traffic on the roads, followed the car that had an unconscious Arthur stuffed in the back.

Merlin leaned forward, trying to figure out what to do. He could feel Crystal shooting him deadly glares as she attempted to maneuver her car closer to the target.

"And just _what_ do you think you're going to do when we catch up with them?" she demanded as she edged around another car. Now they were only two away from the blue car (which Crystal knew to be a Toyota Prius) that contained the prince.

"I don't know," Merlin admitted, voice tense.

"Terrific," he heard her mutter. Once more she changed lanes to try and get around the car in front of them.

"I have no idea why I'm doing this right now," Crystal growled, but Merlin barely heard her. An idea was forming.

"Get me up next to them," he told her. She looked over at him, and he could see her eyes fill with horror as she apparently figured out what he was thinking.

"You're joking," she said. "_Please_ say you're joking."

"I have to get Arthur out of there," he told her bluntly.

"But are you _trying_ to get yourself killed in the process?" Crystal demanded in response.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Merlin muttered to himself. Without another word, Crystal edged around another car as they painfully slowly neared their target.

However, whether the driver of the car had caught on to the fact that they were being followed, or just decided to take a different route, the car that held Arthur captive suddenly swerved down a side street, off the main road. Merlin gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Go that way!" he urged, adrenaline pumping through his blood.

"I'm trying!" Crystal countered. She jerked the wheel and the car slipped onto the same street, but this was one much narrower than what they had just pulled off of. He heard Crystal curse colourfully and he gave her an impressed look. She glared at him.

"One way street," she told him. "Too narrow to get up next to them."

"Just try," he told her. He saw her jaw clench as her knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel. Merlin had to be incredibly impressed by this girl. She hardly knew him, and yet she was willing to risk her life to help him get Arthur out of whatever danger the prat had gotten himself into.

Merlin smirked to himself. Arthur wasn't going to hear the end of this for a _long_ time.

Crystal attempted to pull to one side to get Merlin in a position where he was closer to the blue car's back door, planning to open his door and somehow get Arthur's door open so he could pull the prince into their car. But Crystal failed to get close enough for the amount of cars parked along the side of the street on either side of them.

"It's no use," she said. "We'll just have to tail them for a while."

Merlin nodded tensely and watched the car ahead of them urgently. Arthur still hadn't awoken in the backseat, which only confirmed his suspicions of just who might be driving the car, who was behind that cloak. Of course, how _she_ knew how to drive one of these strange horseless carriages, he couldn't know, but it was probably through magic.

All in all, this was turning out to be one rather slow car chase. Not that Merlin knew what a car chase really was, and to the young warlock who wasn't used to going any faster than the galloping speed of a horse, it was plenty fast enough. But in light of the situation and the need to get Arthur out of that strange car, it was going rather slowly, even for him.

Fortunately, luck seemed to be smiling down at the young serving boy today. Or at least, at this moment it was.

Crystal suddenly slammed on her brakes, and Merlin only just managed to stop his head from hitting the dashboard. He jerked himself up and looked forward to see what had made her stop so suddenly. He couldn't help but smile though. At the end of the street where it opened back out onto the main, larger road, a very large type of car that seemed to have a long metal box attached to its back, sat perpendicular to the road, blocking off the one-way street. And, fortunately for them, it also blocked off the blue car's escape.

"Hah!" Merlin laughed when he saw that the car they'd been chasing (though it was rather too slow to be called a "chase") had been stopped, as well. He grabbed the handle of his door and threw it open, leaping into the street and running forward. Crystal was clambering out after him in a heartbeat, left behind by the warlock with a plan.

"Wait!" she called. "What are you – "

She was cut abruptly off when the driver's door of the blue car opened up and the cloaked figure climbed out to face boy and girl. The hood fell away from her face, and Merlin stumbled to a halt, his suspicions now completely and undeniably confirmed.

"Morgause," he muttered darkly. The blonde woman wasted no time, lifted both hands, and a blast of magic rocketed Crystal and Merlin backwards several feet. Merlin winced as his head cracked against the rough pavement of the road, but he was struggling back to his feet again in an instant. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened to Crystal, but he knew that he didn't have time to check on her. Morgause was already turning her attention back towards the large car that blocked her path, raising her hands to attempt to move it herself. Merlin didn't have time to waste, and he grabbed the only idea he had and hoped that it wouldn't get him into trouble later.

His gaze locked on a decorative lamp post nearby that stood just close enough to the sorceress. It wasn't too tall, but Merlin didn't particularly care. It would do the job. His eyes flashed gold, and the lamp immediately toppled to the ground, taking Morgause with it. The sorceress crumpled to the pavement and lay still, unmoving.

Merlin ran towards the blue car and grabbed the handle of the back door. He could see Arthur in there, still unconscious, obviously under one of Morgause's spells. The warlock pulled at the door handle, but it was locked.

"**Tóspringe**," he commanded, eyes flashing gold once more. The lock on the door popped open, and Merlin thanked his lucky stars that his magic still worked on these strange contraptions. Wasting no more time, he yanked the door open and grabbed Arthur, who was lying on his front, his head towards Merlin.

"Arthur," Merlin called, but the blonde prince did not answer. Grunting, the skinny servant hefted the larger man out of the back of the car, rather ungracefully, and almost dropped him once he dragged him out onto the street. But he regained his hand hold on Arthur, draping the man's arm over his shoulder as he half carried, half dragged (though quite a bit more on the _dragging _side) across the pavement back to Crystal's car. The girl had apparently recovered from Morgause's attack by this point and was standing by the front of the vehicle, eyebrows raised and a look on her face halfway between disbelief and amazement.

"Can you get the door?" Merlin grunted, struggling under Arthur's weight. At least he wasn't wearing his armor.

Still seeming rather dazed, the redhead cast one last look at Morgause's still form on the road and hurried to open one of the rear doors of her own car. Merlin then proceeded to dump the prince's body into the back, making sure he was comfortably laid out across the rather worn cloth seat. Once the servant made sure that Arthur's feet weren't in the way of the door, he shut it with a _click_, and leaned against the car, panting. He glanced up to see that the huge car-thing that had stopped them in the first place was still there, just getting ready to move, the driver oblivious to what he had just been a part of. Merlin couldn't help but laugh a little at that. Without it, who knows what could have become of Arthur.

He glanced up to see Crystal staring at him with her mouth open, her eyes wide with…well, too many emotions for Merlin to identify.

"We have to get out of here before Morgause wakes up," he said, not fully realizing that she had no idea what the heck he was talking about.

Of course, she was ready to make that very plain to him.

"_What_ the _heck _is going on here?" she demanded, stalking forward to look accusingly at him. "_Who_ the heck was that? How'd she do that? With her hands? And who the heck are _you_, even? I mean, can someone please tell me what's going on here?"

Merlin sighed, glanced at the back seat to see Arthur was still out of it.

"Morgause," he told her. "Her name is Morgause, and she's a sorcerer, and we really need to get out of here before she wakes up because what she did to us really won't compare with what she's _going_ to do to us when she wakes up. Okay?"

He fixed her with pleading blue eyes, and though he could clearly tell she was very, very confused and very, very flustered (though Merlin was just thankful _he_ wasn't the one confused this time), she sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Fine," she said, pushing past him to open the driver's side door. Merlin crossed back to his own side and climbed in beside her, while a very unconscious Arthur snored gently in the back seat. Crystal started the car and gingerly moved around where Morgause was still lying in the street, the lamp post lying beside her. The large car that had blocked the roadway was gone by this point, and they moved, unhindered back out onto the busy main thoroughfare.

"Listen," she said, flatly. "I don't know who you are or where you've come from, but we're going back to my flat _right now_ and you're going to tell me just what the _hell_ is going on here."

Merlin smirked.

"Fair enough."

"By the way, Merlin…"

"Yeah?"

"You're bleeding."

* * *

**A/N: **For me it was only fitting to have the "villain" (AKA, Morgause) steal a Prius. I'm sorry for all of you who actually _like_ those cars. I can't stand them. I thought I'd go ahead and elaborate on that for your amusement. Check back Monday for the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Well, my friends, it is Monday again. Therefore time for the next installment of this very...interesting...tale. At least, I _hope_ you think its interesting. It's certainly interesting to write. Anyways, please enjoy this next chapter, and I hope you'll tell me how you liked it.

Thank you for all those who have favorited and/or are following this story. It's very encouraging to see that there's an interest.

* * *

**Chapter 9- Which Involves Evil Planning and A Flustered Redhead**

Morgana was not used to being summoned by her sister in the middle of the day, and she also knew that Morgause would not make such a risk if it were not important. So when Morgana saw the message from her sister left on her mirror, her heart leaped into her throat in anticipation. Either something had gone right, like Arthur's death, or something had gone very, very wrong.

Despite Gwen's desire to remain and finish chores, Morgana had rushed the girl out of her chambers (and now that she thought of it, she may have been a little harsh, but it hardly mattered). She could tell that the girl was flustered and anxious, most likely over Arthur, as Morgana had recently figured out that the serving girl had a certain soft spot for the prince, and he for her. Such information may become critical later, but now it was only trivial. And she needed Gwen out of the way so she could meet with Morgause without having to worry about whether the servant would suddenly appear in her chambers and discover a known enemy of Camelot speaking conversationally with Uther's ward.

Morgana wasted no time. After Gwen was well and truly gone, (she was beginning to wonder if the girl was growing suspicious of her) she slipped out of her chambers and peered down the hall outside her door. But, just like last night, the guards and knights of Camelot were busy searching the town, the forest, and the surrounding villages for any signs of the missing prince. Therefore, none were walking the halls near her quarters at least. She took one more glance around, then slipped down the hallway.

A shadowy figure appeared from behind a nearby doorway, and Morgana stepped forward to embrace her, recognizing the form immediately.

"Quickly, sister," Morgause whispered in her ear. "Before someone sees us."

Morgana nodded and the two sisters moved back down the hall and into Morgana's chamber. Morgana closed the door and turned back round to see the blonde woman standing in the main part of her room.

The blond lowered her hood, and Morgana gasped at a bruise that coloured the older woman's forehead.

"Sister," she said, stepping forward. "What happened?"

"I almost had the prince," Morgause lamented. "But sadly, that servant, _Merlin_, thwarted my plans."

"So what I feared is true," Morgana said. "Merlin will endanger our plans."

Her eyes were wide with fear and frustration, and Morgause laid a hand on her sister's shoulder in attempt to comfort her.

"He is merely a servant," she reminded the younger woman. "And though he may have saved his young prince, he cannot hope to reverse the spell and bring himself and Arthur back to their own time. They are lost in the future for good."

"If there is one thing I have learned from Arthur, though," Morgana said, despairingly. "Is that is _always_ manages to come back, no matter what we throw at him."

"Do not despair, my sister," Morgause consoled the girl. "I will return and finish him off. Not even his servant can protect him for long. But you _must_ do you part here. Uther will be a broken man when he realizes that his son will never be found. In Camelot's moment of weakness, you _must_ strike, and take your place on the throne."

Morgana's grey-green eyes suddenly became cold and determined.

"I will do all it takes," she said, her voice gaining a new level of intensity. Morgause smiled warmly at her sister.

"You must speak with Cenred," Morgause told her. "If his army rallies against Camelot, Uther, as a broken man, will not think straight. He won't be able to command his troops and we will easily gain the upper hand. But you must wait until Uther has given up hope, dear sister. You must bide your time."

Morgana looked as though she wanted to do anything _but_ wait, and Morgause also knew how much her half-sister despised the king of Essetir, but fortunately she consented with her sister's plans.

"I will go to him," she agreed. "And I will wait." Morgause embraced her, and stepped back.

"I will return to the future," she said. "And find Arthur. I promise you, sister, I will find that prince, and I will kill him."

"I have faith in you," Morgana told her sister. Morgause embraced her sister one last time before moving towards the door of Morgana's chambers. But the king's ward reached out and took her arm. Morgause looked back over her shoulder to see Morgana's eyes were worried.

"Please," she said. "Be careful."

"I will, my sister," Morgause promised, her brown eyes serious. Morgana could only watch as the blonde woman opened the door to the lady of Camelot's chambers, checked that none were watching, and slipped away. Once she was gone, Morgana clenched her fists, felt tears of frustration well up in her eyes.

She swore, if it was the last thing she did, she would see (or not see, since he was in the future) Arthur dead.

* * *

Crystal flicked the tap on in the kitchen back at her flat. She ran a washcloth under the cool flow for a minute before shutting the water off, wringing the towel out, and turning back around with it in her hands.

She crossed back to the living area where Merlin had pulled up a chair from her table up next to the couch so he could wait for his friend to come round. Crystal had offered to take him to the hospital to get him checked out, but the black-haired boy had insisted that he'd be fine and they should get back to the safety of Crystal's flat before this woman – Morgause – came to find them. Crystal was still confused about just _who_ this "Morgause" was, and why the heck she was trying to kidnap Merlin's friend, but she had decided that would be added to the very long list of things she had to ask these two.

"Here," she said, handing him the damp cloth. He smiled gratefully at her and pressed it against the nasty graze he'd earned when the sorceress had thrown them backwards. Crystal had been lucky, and the worst she'd gotten was a slightly bruised elbow, and another addition to her list of questions.

"So," she said, pulling up the other chair from the table and sitting down next to him. She crossed her arms over her chest as he looked over at her, eyebrows raised, washcloth still pressed to his forehead.

"You want to tell me how you did that thing back there?" she asked, deciding not to beat around the bush. He gave her an innocently blank expression.

"What do you mean?" he said in a tone that matched his look. But she wasn't going to take that. She frowned.

"I _saw_ you," she said. "Lamp posts don't just fall on their own like that. You _did_ something to it."

His eyes widened and he shook his head adamantly.

"That wasn't me," he said. "That was luck. I didn't do that."

"Oh, come _on_," she pressed. "That _woman_ who you said was a sorceress blew us back, like, six meters, and then you did something to that lamp post and made it fall over! How the heck did you do that?"

She was strangely less baffled than she should have been. After all, she had never believed that magic existed. She was pretty sure she had been done with the idea of "magic" since she'd stopped believing in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny at the age of 6 or so. Anyways, almost everything could be explained through _science_. The idea of "magic" was well…it just wasn't an idea anymore. Not to her.

Merlin shot a glance at the blonde man's – Arthur's – still form before looking back up at her.

"It's just something I can do," he said quietly. But she wasn't going to let it go at that.

"And something _she_ can do, too," she pressed. "But what is it? Is it….magic? I mean, I've never seen anything like that before. Are you, like, Harry Potter or something? Is magic real?"

He took a breath and looked again at Arthur. She could tell he really didn't seem to want to tell her about it, but she wasn't going to let him back out of it. After all, it looked as though he'd be staying in her flat with his friend, and if they were going to be chased by some crazy sorceress she would like to know about what kind of danger she was getting into, please and thank you.

"Yeah, it's magic," he finally admitted. "And yes, magic is real."

For a moment, she wasn't sure what to say, and he took the opportunity to speak first. He glanced around as if he was afraid someone was watching them. He leaned forward and lowered his voice even more.

"Is magic illegal here?" he asked her, his eyes urgent. Crystal frowned in confusion.

"Uh…" she tried to grapple with the right words to answer. She didn't _think_ that it was. Honestly, no one ever told her so. But then again, no one actually _used_ magic, or at least that she knew. Not openly, unless you count those creepy little psychic shops in the more strange parts of town. "I don't _think_ so," she finally said. "But, no one really _uses_ magic. Not that I've seen."

Now it was _his_ turn to look confused.

"But your cars, and the lights that don't have flames and the TV," he tried to argue. "You're telling me those aren't magic?"

Crystal laughed.

"Of course not!" she told him. "It's…_science_. I don't exactly know how everything works, but I can tell you it's not magic."

"And…no one uses magic?"

Crystal shook her head.

"No. Most people don't even believe it's real."

His shoulders suddenly slumped and his blue eyes grew dark and sad. Crystal's forehead wrinkled in confusion, wondering why he seemed so disappointed. But, she supposed she could understand if he knew magic and found out that no one believed in it.

Suddenly, the blonde man stirred on the couch, and Merlin looked at him before glancing urgently back at Crystal.

"He can't know," Merlin told her, voice suddenly a harsh whisper. "About me having magic."

"Okay…" she started, but wasn't able to say anymore before Arthur's eyes flickered open and he glanced groggily around her flat.

Merlin leaned forward, peering down at his friend. As Arthur's blue eyes landed on the boy, a smile spread over Merlin's thin face.

"Arthur!" he said. The blonde's eyes widened in astonishment, and he sputtered out the black-haired boy's name.

"Merlin!" he gasped. "Where the hell have you been?"

Before Merlin had a chance to answer, Arthur propped himself up on his elbows and groaned, pressing a hand against his forehead. He glanced around his surroundings with confusion.

"Where the hell are we?" he demanded, swinging his legs over the side of the couch and sitting up, with a little help from Merlin.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Merlin questioned him. Crystal watched from the side, unsure of what the heck she should be thinking right now.

Arthur looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Last thing I remember was being forced into one of those…moving things…"

"Car," Merlin corrected. Arthur shot him a glare.

"…_Car_ or whatever," Arthur continued, with a pointed annoyed look at his manservant. "And taken to some sort of a dungeon, where they kept me for the night. I tried to explain to them who I was, but no one seemed to care."

"And after that?" Merlin pressed. Arthur shrugged.

"I remember falling asleep. Then…nothing. Until waking up here. Where have you _been_, _Mer_lin? I've been searching this whole strange city for you!"

"Were you worried about me?" Merlin asked, looking amused. Arthur scowled.

"Don't be ridiculous," the blonde man snapped back. "I just wanted to see if you knew how we got to this weird place, seeing that it was you who ran into my room right before that flash."

Merlin glanced backwards at Crystal, who had said nothing since Arthur's wakening. She still remained silent, completely lost in the craziness of all this. She watched, numbly, from her position on the other side of Merlin.

"It was Morgause," Merlin told Arthur, looking back at him. "She used some sort of spell to send us here. She kidnapped you, from the jail. Somehow she enchanted all the…guards…"

"Police," Crystal added quietly, her first word for a while.

"…Into not seeing you or not remembering you so she could escape with you. She must have had you enchanted, too. Crystal – " he nodded to the girl, who traded a brief glance with Arthur. " – and I managed to get you away from her."

Arthur's eyebrows rose on his forehead as he looked at Merlin with disbelief.

"_You_ stopped Morgause?" he said, clearly not believing a word of it. "And how, _Mer_lin, did you manage _that_?"

Merlin laughed and shot Crystal a grin.

"With a little luck, I guess."

"Just a little?" Arthur muttered, sarcastically.

"I think she used the bracelet to send us here," Merlin continued, ignoring the comment. "I think it was just meant for you, but when we both touched it, it sent us both here."

"And where _is_ here, exactly?" Arthur asked, this time directing his question to Crystal. The red-head blinked, having not expected him to speak to her. She might have trouble believing that he _was_ the prince he kept saying he was, but Crystal did have to admit there was something very…._princely_ about him, something that made her feel like a peasant instead of the independent, hard-working girl she was.

"Uh…London, England," she answered doggedly. For some reason, she also added on, "Year 2012."

Merlin blinked, turned to look closely at her.

"What was that?" he asked, slowly. Crystal shifted uncomfortably. Once more, she wondered what type of weirdos she'd allowed into her home. She was beginning to think she'd be asking herself that question a lot for a while.

"The year two thousand and twelve," she repeated, slower this time. Merlin's eyes widened until they were about the size of dinner plates before he slowly turned back to the blonde on the couch.

"Morgause," he said carefully. "Sent us into the future."

Arthur looked at Merlin for a moment like he had two heads, and Crystal began to think she had an ally on her side. The blonde laughed.

"The future?" he said incredulously, looking, once more with raised eyebrows, at the raven-haired boy. "Morgause sent us into the future with a _bracelet_?"

Merlin looked annoyed.

"Well," he started, exasperated. "Think about it – she said it was the year 2012. And just _look_ at the stuff around us – " he gestured to the room around him, and his sweeping hand even took in Crystal. " – None of this is like Camelot, and you know that not even magic can do some of this stuff."

"Like _you'd_ know what magic can do, Merlin," Arthur scoffed. The black-haired boy opened his mouth to respond, but Crystal stepped in. She was tired of this debate, tired of feeling so very lost and confused, and annoyed with herself that she was beginning to think that these two weren't just demented escapees from the mental hospital.

"Hold everything," she started, before Merlin could shoot a retort back at Arthur. "Would _someone_, _anyone,_ like to tell me what's going on here? I mean, who _are_ you people? Why do you think you're Prince Arthur?"

"Well, because I am," Arthur said, obviously rather confused. "How is it that no one seems to know who I am here?"

"Because there _is_ no Prince Arthur!" Crystal felt this conversation going in the same way the one she'd had with Merlin had gone yesterday. "King Arthur of Camelot is a _legend_! A _myth_! It happened, like, two thousand years ago! _There can't be an Arthur Pendragon."_

Instead of getting the desired reaction to that entire spiel, Arthur simply looked pointedly at Merlin and raised an eyebrow.

"You hear that, _Mer_lin?" he said haughtily. "_I_ am a legend."

Crystal buried her face in her hands.

"He really is Prince Arthur," Merlin told Crystal, in a gentle voice. "And we aren't from this place – London. We're from Camelot, and we were sent here, well, _Arthur_ was sent here, I just came along by accident, by a sorceress named Morgause. She was the one that I told you about earlier."

"The one who we chased in my car," Crystal said flatly, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. Merlin nodded.

"She's after Arthur and wants to kill him. That's why she kidnapped him. She must have decided it wasn't good enough to just get rid of you, Arthur. She wanted to try and make sure you were dead."

"Very encouraging Merlin, thank you," Arthur said dryly. Merlin glared at him.

"So you're Arthur Pendragon, from Camelot, and you've been sent two thousand years into the future by a sorceress who's now hunting through London trying to kill you," Crystal repeated, trying to process all this. She couldn't believe she was actually….well, _believing_ it. But she had to admit, she had seen this Morgause woman and had seen her do magic. She was just amazed that this was all happening to _her_.

"So, what are you, his servant or something?" she asked Merlin, remembering not to mention his magic.

"Yes, and the worst in the five kingdoms, too," Arthur answered. Merlin glowered at him, but Crystal didn't wait for him to snap back.

"And how do you think you'll get back, seeing that you have an evil sorceress hunting you down?" she continued her questioning.

Merlin looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I'm going to guess that only the bracelet has the power to get us _back_ in time, since it's what brought us here in the first place," he said. Arthur nodded, but he didn't look happy about it.

"I don't like it," Arthur said. "But I think you may be right, Merlin."

"_What _was that you said, Arthur?" the black-haired boy asked, eyes twinkling. "I may be _what_?"

"Shut up, _Mer_lin," Arthur grumbled.

"Can I see the bracelet, then?" Merlin said, returning to seriousness but a smile still playing on his lips. He held a hand out. The prince shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat.

"I…don't have it," he replied, not making eye contact with his servant (it was strange for Crystal to think of _anyone_ being a servant).

Merlin's eyes widened in horror.

"What do you mean you 'don't have it'?" he asked slowly. Arthur was avoiding making eye contact with him.

"I…didn't think it was necessary," he said. "I threw it away when I first woke up."

Merlin groaned and rubbed his face in his hands.

"You've got to be kidding," he muttered. He looked up at the blonde prince and Crystal watched, once again silent, completely out of her league. "Where did you throw it away?"

"It was a…clearing or something, next to a road," Arthur answered. Finally Crystal found a place in this conversation.

"Sounds like the park," she said. "It's not actually too far from here. Maybe we can find it if you can tell where it was you lost it."

Arthur seemed to finally take her in properly, and she saw his forehead crease slightly in question. He looked to Merlin.

"Who is she?" he asked the black haired boy.

"Crystal," the girl answered instead. "Crystal Simmons. This is my home."

"She helped me," Merlin told Arthur. "And she helped get you away from Morgause."

"Then I thank you," Arthur said and stood, he fixed her with light blue eyes. "If we were back in Camelot, I'm sure there'd be a reward for you."

"Trust me, getting rid of you two will be reward enough," she muttered to herself. Merlin also stood, and Crystal glanced between the two of them. She was beginning to see what this was coming down to: she was going to have to help both of them. A prince and a secret sorcerer, both in her flat, needing her help. Who would have ever thought that it would have happened to her?

She sighed and finally turned back to the tiny table where she'd thrown her keys.

"Well, I'm guessing we're going back out in the car, then," she said, walking towards the door. She looked pointedly back at the two boys. "Come on," she said. "And Merlin, please don't get sick in my car. I really don't want to have to clean it out."

* * *

**A/N:** What's that you say? Why, yes, I did breifly mention Harry Potter in this chapter. However, though, I must confess that I am not a Harry Potter fan (just never got around to either reading the books or watching the movies) but I couldn't resist sticking it in there. However, if you are a HP fan, and you want to see something that will blow your mind, go to Youtube, type in Merlin "The Tears of Uther Pendragon" Deleted Scenes. Just watch. You'll find out what I'm talking about eventually.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Well, I almost forget today was Friday. What with evil English proffesors and New Testament History tests and Biology Lab tests that totally just ran me over with a steamroller, it's been a pretty busy week. But nothing can keep me from posting another chapter for you lovely readers! So here it is.

By the way, just a heads-up, be on the lookout for something new from me, fairly soon. I've been writing reviews for the Second season of Merlin, and I'm getting close to the point where I'm comfortable posting the first review for you guys to read. Should be interesting.

* * *

**Chapter 10- In Which There Is Magic in the Park**

"I thought we were going to the park, or whatever," Merlin said as Crystal pulled her car up to the same department store she worked at, the one Merlin had been dragged into yesterday. Of course, he had to admit that he wasn't entirely sure what a "park" was, but from the description that Arthur gave, it was like a grassy place in the midst of this huge city. This store was definitely _not_ a grassy clearing.

Crystal glanced over her shoulder at the warlock in the back seat. Unfortunately for him, Arthur had taken over the front passenger seat, relegating Merlin to the rear. But, fortunately for the black haired serving boy, he seemed to be getting more used to car travel, and was significantly less nauseous than he'd been after previous excursions in the horseless carriage that was _not_ run by magic. He'd really hoped to see Arthur made carsick by the high speeds at which this thing moved, but of course the prince seemed to take it all rather well. Although, for a man who spent quite a bit of his time riding around on galloping horses smashing people with lances, Merlin supposed it did make a little sense.

"Well," the redhead started, pulling the car expertly up alongside the sidewalk. "I figured that it would be best if we got you two some _real_ clothes first."

Merlin blinked and looked down at his own outfit. He had to admit, the clothes had seen better days since their encounter with rain and mud yesterday.

"What's wrong with our clothes?" Arthur asked, a statement Merlin had never expected to hear from the prince's mouth. Crystal frowned.

"Well, they're a little…._medieval,_" she answered, pulling a face. "Besides, this Morgause woman or whatever, knows what you two look like. If we can at least get you some different clothes, maybe it'll throw her off a little. After all, if she can't recognize you, she can't find you, right?"

Arthur's face broke into a knowing grin and he pointed an approving finger at her.

"That's a good idea," he said. "Merlin, why can't you have good ideas like that?"

"What does it matter, you never listen to me anyways," Merlin complained from the back seat, but Arthur ignored him, was trying to figure out how to open the door the same way Merlin had the day before. Crystal rolled her eyes.

"Pull it," she said, gesturing to the silver handle. Arthur did so and the door popped open. Arthur laughed in victory and stepped out of the car. Merlin grunted his annoyance and followed both prince and girl out onto the sidewalk.

"Besides," Merlin heard Crystal mutter as they approached the magically opening doors. "I get a discount here."

Arthur reached out to grab the smooth glass door as if he was ready to pull it open when, with a soft _shh_ they opened by themselves. The prince jumped back, startled.

"What the-?" he started, surprised and concerned. Merlin noticed that his hand had immediately gone to his belt, obviously searching for the sword that wasn't there.

Of course, Merlin was still fascinated with the idea of doors that opened by themselves, but he couldn't let slide this opportunity to needle Arthur.

"What's wrong, Arthur?" he teased, stepped casually through the open doors. "They're just _doors_."

"How did they do that?" the prince demanded. "What kind of magic is this?"

"Magic?" Merlin scoffed, then in the most knowledgeable voice he added, "Arthur, this is _science._"

Arthur pointed a warning finger at his manservant, but Crystal intervened with barely controlled annoyance.

"People are _staring_," she hissed at them, pushing Arthur through the doors. The prince glared at his servant as he drew near to him and Merlin smiled innocently in a way that he could tell only aggravated the blonde more. But he seriously couldn't resist.

"It's not magic," Crystal told them in a low voice as she led them through the store. Despite the fact that Merlin had been here only the day before, he was still completely stunned at the array of products placed throughout this giant palace-size market. Everything from clothes to cosmetics where displayed around them, everything demanding the attention of the shoppers. Never in his life had he seen so much _stuff_ in one place. But Crystal was continuing.

"Merlin's actually right," she pressed on. "It's science. Don't ask me how it works. Just stop linking everything with magic. Sheesh. The men's section is upstairs."

She gestured to a long, shining metal staircase that seemed to be moving upwards, carrying its passengers towards the second story. Merlin appraised it with suspicion.

"We're supposed to ride that?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, unless you want to take the elevator and I'm really not prepared to explain _that_ to you," Crystal said, stepping onto one of the moving steps with ease. Merlin glanced at Arthur to see he was taking in the strange sight with the same amount of distrust as Merlin. However, Arthur seemed to recover first, most likely just to get back at his manservant for the automatic door incident earlier.

"Well, come on, _Mer_lin," he said. "Don't stand there looking like a dollophead. Get on."

With a thrust from Arthur, Merlin found himself stumbling onto one of the rising steps. He scrambled to grab the railing before he fell backwards and glanced back at Arthur who was a few steps under him, looking at him with the same innocent expression he'd used on him earlier.

"Prat," Merlin said over his shoulder. "And dollophead's _my_ word."

"If the shoe fits, Merlin," Arthur mocked casually. Merlin glowered at him, but the escalator ride abruptly ended, almost causing the warlock to topple over before Crystal grabbed his jacket and hauled him back up. He was just straightening when Arthur, too, dismounted the strange moving staircase. Merlin was satisfied to notice that the prince tripped slightly as well, but he quickly covered up the mistake.

"Thought you two would never get here," the redhead girl muttered, then gestured with an arm towards the racks of clothes in front of her. A sign hanging over their heads read "Men's".

"This is the guy's section," she said. "Follow me and I'll see if I can't find something for you."

"Can't we pick for ourselves?" Merlin asked, not entirely sure if he appreciated someone choosing his clothes for him. After all, that's what _he_ did for Arthur. And he also remembered what had happened the _last _time someone had picked out his clothes for him, when Arthur had handed him the ceremonial robes of the servants of Camelot for the feast with Bayard. That had not ended well.

But Crystal fixed him with a gaze that said clearly said _not in a million years._

"I don't trust you two enough to do that," she said. "After all, this isn't your time, and fashions are a _lot_ different. We want you to look like everyone else. So _I_ will find something for you. Besides, I'm a sales clerk: I know the sizes better."

And so the hunt began. It didn't take long for both boys to grow rather bored of the whole thing. Crystal seemed to have a hard time deciding what would look best on each. Merlin sighed as she held up two shirts in front of Arthur, which both looked pretty much the same to Merlin. The black haired boy looked around, feeling restless. They needed to get that bracelet back. He knew that that would be only way they'd be able to get back to Camelot, back to where they needed to be. He was also slightly put off by the constant warning of his magic in the back of his mind, which he couldn't figure out what it was trying to warn him about. He'd felt it since they'd rescued Arthur, but as of yet he hadn't understood where the sensation was emanating from. It was making him more than a little edgy.

While Crystal was still debating between the shirts, Merlin wandered off a little ways, trying to concentrate on the strange warning feeling, trying to place it. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the inner glow that was his magic, trying to use it to pinpoint the origin of the warning….

"_Emrys."_

His concentration was suddenly and startlingly broken by a voice in his mind. He started, eyes snapping back open and looking frantically around for who had spoken his Druid name. This was thousands of years in his future. Where there possibly still Druids around, even after all that Crystal said about no one using magic? And how could Druids, if any still existed, thousands of years after Camelot, know his name?

_"Emrys," _the voice spoke again, and Merlin turned sharply, desperate to find who had spoken. There was only one he could find, and his eyes widened. Standing back near one of the racks of pants, her hands clasped behind her back and her outfit just as prim and stiff as the one she'd worn the day before, was Crystal's employer, Ms. Payne. She was looking right at him, with those same eyes that had seemed to read his thoughts the day before. She was gazing steadily at him, and he knew full well it was she who had spoken to him. His breath caught in his throat as she strode towards him.

_"You know my name?" _Merlin asked silently, confused. He glanced to the side to see that Crystal and Arthur had moved a few racks away. Neither noticed his disappearance, and he looked back to the grey haired woman who stood before him.

_"I do,"_ she said. Merlin waited for her to say more, but instead she, too, glanced in the direction of Crystal and Arthur, and then beckoned Merlin to follow her where they were more out of earshot.

"You are not Crystal's boyfriend," it wasn't a question. Merlin felt his face grow hot with embarrassment.

"No," he admitted. "How do you know me? Are you - ?"

"A Druid, yes," she replied, keeping her voice low. She turned her right arm over to bare her wrist, and Merlin could see a small bit of the curly tattoo underneath the starched white cuffs of her dress shirt. "There are still many of us alive today. Magic cannot be eradicated from the world. It is the very essence of the earth, and even in modern times it is still a prevalent force in the world."

"Crystal told me that no one believes in it anymore," Merlin said, his forehead slightly creased.

"It is true that with the birth of modern conveniences and the scientific revolution that magic has been relegated to the back of people's minds, put off as a children's story and not real. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"But how do you know my name?" Merlin asked, casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make certain no one was overhearing their conversation. He was still edgy with the constant warning of his magic in the back of his mind.

"Your name will forever be known, Emrys," Ms. Payne told him. "You are the most powerful sorcerer ever to have walked the earth. Your name will never leave the pages of history."

For once, Merlin was speechless, and though he opened his mouth to attempt a reply, she continued.

"But I know that this is not your time," she said. "I know you should not be here."

"Arthur and I were sent here by magic," Merlin agreed. "Morgause and Morgana sent us."

"This I know," the grey-haired woman replied with a stern nod. "This journey of yours has been written about. But you must know this, Emrys: you must leave this time as soon as possible. Time itself cannot take such drastic changes. If you and the young prince remain here for too much longer, the timeline of the world will be permanently altered, causing great chaos."

"But _how_ do we get back?" Merlin asked. "I know it has something to do with the bracelet that Morgana left for Arthur, but I don't even know where it is, and I certainly don't know how to reverse the spell."

The woman nodded.

"I know about the bracelet," she told him. "Only a very few were ever made, created by such a powerful magic that those who had the ability to forge them were killed by the power. They are vessels of a very old and great magic that even the Priestesses of the Old Religion did not fully understand and were wary of. Morgause was fortunate to discover one, but foolish to use it. She does not understand what it can do and is playing with forces she cannot comprehend. To send Arthur into the future as she did is beyond dangerous: the Once and Future king is an intrinsic part of history. Now that he has been removed from his proper time line, the impact on time itself could be detrimental. You _must_ find the bracelet, Emrys, or maybe even you won't be able to heal time."

"What do I do with it once I find it?" Merlin said, trying to process through the information she'd just given him and at the same time still completely lost in the fact that he had no idea how to wield such power. If it was as dangerous as she said, would he be able to understand it?

"You must learn to harness its power, Emrys," the Druid woman told him. "I may be able to help you, but you are the only one who is powerful enough to control it."

"Great," Merlin muttered to himself. "How do I know if I'll be able to control it?"

"You have to trust in your own powers," she told him. "You are the greatest warlock to have ever lived. Don't forget that."

Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Crystal's voice calling his name. He grimaced and looked back at Ms. Payne.

"You had better go now," she told him. "Find that bracelet. And hurry, Emrys. Time is running out."

"Isn't it always?" Merlin muttered to himself. He heard Crystal's voice again and glanced over his shoulder. He turned to speak again to the Druid woman, but she was already walking away.

Crystal caught up to him, gave him an odd look.

"Where have you been?" she said. "Come on, I need you to try this on – " she shoved an orange-and-white striped collared shirt at him that had a tiny embroidered emblem of a man carrying what looked like a stick riding on the back of a horse. "- and these, too," she shoved a pair of tan pants into his arms. "Dressing rooms are over there. Arthur's trying on some stuff, and – were you talking to Ms. Payne?" She looked accusingly at him.

"Yeah, she just wanted to chat," he said casually. Crystal frowned.

"I told you to stay out of her way," she told him firmly. Merlin cast a glance around to make sure no one – especially Arthur – was listening.

"She thinks she can help Arthur and me get back to Camelot," he said, leaning forward and lowering his voice. He noticed Crystal's eyes widen, though he wasn't sure if it was shock, amazement, or horror. "What?" he prompted.

"She…said she can help you? With magic?" she stuttered. Merlin nodded slowly.

"Yes…"

"I just – " she looked like she wanted to say something more, but decided against it. She shook her head and suddenly shoved the black haired warlock in the direction of a series of doors he could see concealed behind a far wall, apparently the dressing rooms.

"Just try those on," she told him. "The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get your bracelet or whatever and you can get back to…wherever."

"Sounds good to me," Merlin muttered in grim agreement. Of course upon reflection, that may be easier said than done.

* * *

"And you're sure this is the place you left it?"

The girl called Crystal sat on Arthur's right and looked out the large piece of glass on the front of the car. They were parked near the grassy area that Arthur had awoken. In the distance, he could see the tree he'd found himself under. He knew beside it was where he'd thrown the bracelet down onto the ground and left it.

Merlin leaned forward from the backseat, but the manservant seemed slightly distracted. Arthur noticed he kept glancing out the side window and flinching almost as if he was expecting something to jump out at him. But, of course, Arthur decided not to comment. He couldn't let it seem he was _concerned_ over the black-haired boy's odd behavior. Because, of course, he was _not._ However, he might be able to annoy him about it later.

Both he and Merlin were now dressed completely differently than before, their old clothes lying in a heap in the backseat beside the aforementioned servant. Arthur now sported a shirt made of stretchy fabric called a "t-shirt", which a strange design across it that said something along the lines of "South Pole". Arthur wasn't entirely sure what that meant. With it, he wore a pair of dark pants made of a fabric called denim, as Crystal had called it. _Jeans. _He wasn't entirely sure if he was sold on them, but at least they did change his appearance enough that he hoped Morgause wouldn't be able to spot him, at least, from a distance. He was still, however, wearing his boots. He quite preferred that to trying to break in a brand new pair of shoes while on the run from a sorceress.

Merlin, on the other hand, wore a collared "Polo" shirt with orange-and-white stripes and a pair of tan pants; his customary jacket, shirt, dark pants, and of course, neckerchief, also piled in the back with Arthur's own discarded ensemble. Neither of them had known entirely what to make of the other when they had first seen each other in these strange new clothes. But Arthur knew that once this adventure was over with and they were back in Camelot, he'd make sure that the servant knew never to speak of this again. Never.

"Yes, this is the place," Arthur confirmed. He pointed to the tree on the hill. "I was right over there when I woke up."

"Then let's get this over with," Crystal said, moving to open her side door.

"Wait."

Arthur rolled his eyes in annoyance at the cautious tone of Merlin's voice from the backseat. The blonde prince turned and glared back at his servant.

"What is it, _Mer_lin?" he demanded. The black haired boy glanced around nervously as if he was looking for something.

"Something's not right," he said carefully, forehead creased in worry. Once again, Arthur rolled his eyes.

"One of your funny feelings again?" he asked. He looked to the redheaded girl beside him.

"He gets feelings," he whispered loudly to her. Merlin glared at his master.

"I just think we should wait a bit," he said, and Arthur could, with pleasure, hear the slightest sound of annoyance in the manservant's voice. "To be safe."

"Merlin," Arthur said. "We are mere paces away from retrieving the one thing that will get us back home. If we don't get it now, we might not get a chance again."

"I'm just saying," Merlin countered. "We shouldn't walk into something that might be a trap."

"Fine, have it your way," Arthur conceded. He sat back in his seat and noted with amusement the look of surprise on Merlin's face that the stubborn prince had for once _listened_ to something he'd said.

Arthur smirked, and after all of two seconds sat back forward and grabbed the door handle.

"Okay, waiting's over," he said, climbing out of the car. Merlin, who was sitting on the same side as Arthur, scrambled out with a look of true annoyance. Arthur clapped his manservant on the back.

"Well, look at that, Merlin," the blonde prince said with a grin. "We're still alive. How about telling that to your 'feeling'."

Merlin glowered at his master, and as Arthur stepped away he overheard the lanky boy mutter something about ungrateful arrogant prats, but the prince ignored him.

"It should be right up there," Arthur said, leading the other two across. "The sooner we get it, the better."

Truth be told, Arthur wasn't exactly sure what they were going to do with the bracelet when they got it. It took magic to get them here, so therefore it would only make sense that it would take magic to get them back. Not that he was too happy about that, but what choice did he have?

Of course, seeing that none of them knew how to use magic (at least, not that he knew) it would probably be an issue _using_ the thing once they got hold of it.

But, as he told himself, take it one step at a time. He needed to focus on _getting_ the bracelet first and making sure that Morgause, who was running wild somewhere among these streets of London (or whatever this place was called) didn't get it first. After they had it secured, then they could figure out what to do with it.

He didn't notice that Merlin had stopped walking until he heard the manservant's voice coming from a few paces behind him.

"Arthur, I – " was all the black haired boy managed to get out. Just as those words left his lips, an explosion ripped through the still afternoon air, knocking Arthur off his feet and into the grass. The blonde grunted and scrambled back to his feet, searching for the sword that was not at his belt. He cursed himself for leaving it in Camelot. But, of course, at that point in the morning he'd had no idea that he'd be fighting evil sorceresses with a taste for his blood.

He heard the sounds of panicked people around him, commoners who were running for their lives trying to get away from whatever had caused the sudden attack. Arthur spun on his heel, squinting to see through the smoke. He was not surprised to see the hooded figure of Morgause striding through the blackened air, her brown eyes glittering murderously as she glared at the young prince. She raised her hand, her steps never slowing, Arthur full in her sights.

Another explosion occurred, but this one causing Morgause to fly backwards. Arthur wondered if the woman's spell had somehow backfired on her.

"Run!"

Merlin's voice was yelling in his ear, and Arthur didn't think twice, for once actually _listening _to his manservant.

Arthur turned and legged it, feet pounding against the smooth stone sidewalk, Merlin and the girl Crystal on either side. Another explosion knocked them off their feet again, but Arthur recovered quicker this time. He grabbed Merlin's shirt and dragged the manservant to his feet, pushing him ahead of himself. Arthur looked over his shoulder to see Morgause still coming at them, her face set and determined. They'd never get to Crystal's car at this rate. She'd kill them before they got there, or at least she'd follow them once they did. Arthur wasn't sure that even the high speeds that these cars traveled could keep a determined sorceress like Morgause off their tails.

Arthur turned back and kept running, but briefly noticed Merlin glancing back over his shoulder as well. The blonde prince turned again to see a man who had been pedaling one of those strange two-wheeled contraptions past the panic in the park suddenly lose control and barrel into the approaching sorceress. Arthur almost laughed out loud as both man and woman were brought down together in a tangle of metal, tyres and human appendages. But the blonde's attention was brought back to the present as Crystal yelled for them to get into the car. Arthur all but dived into his seat as the girl jammed the key into the side of the steering wheel and twisted it, causing the metal machine to spring to life. Without a second thought, the girl yanked it into the line of passing traffic and sped down the highway away from the park that was now in flames.

"We didn't get the bracelet," Arthur panted, his mind pulling away from their strange bit of luck back there to more important matters.

"Well, unless you want to get roasted by that woman, we're not going to be able to get it right now," Crystal said through gritted teeth. "Honestly, we were almost _killed_."

Arthur twisted in his seat to look back at Merlin, who was sitting in the back, looking out the window with a look of bewilderment. Though Arthur, of course, wasn't at all concerned for his servant, the prince did silently take stock of the black haired boy's appearance to make sure he was unharmed. But besides the graze on his forehead he'd received from earlier that day and a layer of dirt that now covered his face and brand-new clothes, he looked unscathed.

"How did she find us?" Merlin wondered, his forehead furrowed. Arthur had to admit that the same question had passed through his mind.

"Would someone like to tell me _why_ she wants to kill you?" Crystal put in. Arthur turned his attention to the girl. Like Merlin, she looked unharmed save for the general dirt on her clothes and maybe a bruise or two. All in all, they'd all gotten off lucky. If it hadn't been for that other explosion, and the man on the bicycle, they'd all be in a lot greater danger.

"Morgause is a sorceress," Arthur said flatly, as if that explained everything. "She's evil and wants to rule Camelot, just like any sorcerer."

Crystal eyed him as she turned down a side street, obviously trying to take the most indirect root back to her home so as not to be followed by Morgause. Arthur didn't blame her.

"Do you get attacks like this often?" she asked. Arthur and Merlin glanced at each other.

"Yeah," they answered in unison, nodding. Crystal rolled her eyes.

"Okay, back to my place," she said. "Something tells me that the fun isn't over with you two."


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Well, at this moment I am in my vert first blizzard. It's rather exciting for a girl who grew up in Florida. My very first snow day.

So, anyways, here is the next chapter. Shorter, unfortunatly, because it is a "Meanwhile Back At The Ranch Also Known As Camelot" Chapter. But I hope you enjoy it anyways. ;)

* * *

**Chapter 11- In Which Morgana Reflects on the Stupidity of Camelot's Guards**

Morgana stood outside the door of the council chambers and watched as two guards strode out of the heavy twin wooden doors. Though their faces were mostly covered by their helmets, she could still see their expressions: both looked grim. Morgana straightened, trying her best to contain her smirk so as the guards standing at the doors would not see her sheer delight in the situation.

It had been two days since Arthur had disappeared, and despite the tireless searching of every guard that Camelot had at its disposal, not even a trace of the young prince's whereabouts had been discovered. The only clue into his disappearance – which, as per the nature of the object, wasn't much to go off – was a wooden box found in the prince's chambers, the box that Morgana knew had contained the bracelet. But the guards were unable to reason what the container had held or whether it had anything to do with Arthur's disappearance. Morgana was pleased that no one could understand what had happened to Arthur.

And she knew no one would ever know. She trusted Morgause to dispose of Arthur in whatever time he was now. It most likely wouldn't be difficult.

Morgana stood straighter and strode forward. As she reached the doors of the council chamber, the two guards bowed and opened them for her. She stepped inside to find Uther sitting at the head of a long wooden table, a variety of foods spread out before him. But even from where she stood, Morgana could tell that the great king had touched nothing.

"My lord," Morgana said, pausing at the opposite end of the table. Uther had not seen her come in, she could tell. He sat, one gloved hand pressed to his lips as he stared dismally down at the table. She could almost _feel_ his frustration and desperation. Uther was a proud, hard man, and the disappearance of his only son and his guard's inability to find him were most likely driving the man mad. Morgana did not feel pity for him. If anything, she wished there was a way to make his pain _more_ intense. And she knew there would be a way: when he realized that his son was not coming home and was gone forever.

Uther looked up, his blue-green eyes resting on his ward and daughter. She could see the anger there, but also the sadness. Morgana forced herself not to smirk.

"Morgana," he said simply, his voice far away, but his troubled gaze softening slightly at the sight of his daughter. He had no idea Morgana knew that the proud king of Camelot, the man that had taken her in as an orphan, was actually the very man who had fathered her. He did not know how fiercely she hated him for lying to her for all these years, for being so cruel, for choosing Arthur over her and for being so hateful to magic that she knew for certain he'd kill her if he ever discovered her true gifts.

She hated him for _living_. Though that would not be for much longer.

"I came to see if there was any way that I could comfort you, my lord," Morgana said, sweeping towards him and taking a seat beside him at the table. He looked down at his untouched plate, and she took one of his gloved hands in hers, squeezed it gently. It was hard to hold onto the sweet, gentle face she always used around him, trying to force herself not to laugh in his face or show him the true feelings she felt towards him. But she forced herself to do so. Now was not the time for Uther to know her true emotions. She must hold up the pretense.

"You are my only comfort, Morgana," Uther said. "Until Arthur returns to us, your love will be the only thing to comfort me."

"I am sure Arthur will return, my lord," Morgana assured him with a gentle smile. She honestly felt like retching, her words were so sweet. "He is your only son and only heir to the throne. He _must_ return."

She hoped with those words she'd drive his sorrow further.

"I'm sure you're right," he answered, but his tone was more resigned now, and Morgana knew she'd done what she meant to do. "I cannot imagine losing him."

"Nor can I," Morgana replied. "I won't be able to rest until we are certain what has become of him."

Here she let herself tear up, held a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob.

"I simply can't think about him being gone forever!"

Uther cupped her face in his gloved hand and looked into her eyes. She wished she had a dagger, for she'd just kill him now. But she held back her hatred and played along.

"He will return," he promised her. "Just like you said."

Morgana stood quickly and wiped her fake tears away with a hand.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, my lord," she said, bowing slightly. "I've just been so miserable with Arthur's disappearance. I will leave you in peace now."

Quickly, she turned and left the room, and the guards closed the doors behind her. She swept past them and rounded the corner of the corridor before she stopped and finally allowed herself the smirk she'd been hanging on to. She could tell that Uther was weakening. When his son did not appear in a few days, she knew for certain that between his own inner turmoil and her words, he would surely break.

But then her heart stopped. A few _days_? She couldn't wait that long! Arthur always managed to come back, no matter what they did. And what if he did now? All their plans would be ruined! She didn't have a few days to wait! She must do this now!

She remembered Morgause's words in her mind earlier. She had spoken telepathically to her sister only just before she'd met with Uther. Morgause had warned her not to get ahead of herself, to bide her time. But Morgana wanted to do everything but. Morgause had told her that Cenred (even as much as she despised that man!) was waiting with a few of his men in the forests outside Camelot, silently waiting for Morgana's visit. Though it was dangerous for Cenred to be so near the great city with Uther's guards constantly patrolling, it was more convenient for Morgana who would not be able to ride to Cenred in time to inform him of Uther's downfall whilst Morgause was hunting Arthur in the future to kill him. Now Morgana's heart raced, willing her to go to him now and inform him to ready his troops. She wouldn't wait for long to get rid of Uther, and he'd have to be ready. She believed Uther to be weakening already. She'd go to Cenred now, and get him out of the way and preparing to take Camelot. Then she'd get rid of Uther, and all would be ready.

She nodded to herself and began once more to stride regally down the corridors back to her own chambers. Tonight she would visit Essetir's king.

* * *

It always surprised Morgana just how easily it was for her to get out of Camelot. Except for the time that Merlin followed her when she went to visit Morgause (that boy was _terrible_ at being stealthy) no one had ever followed her or tried to stop her that she knew of. There was that one unfortunate moment when she'd been sneaking the Mandarin root back into the castle that the knight had stopped her and tried to convince her that she was wounded, but other than that, none of the guards ever seemed to notice her almost nightly now escapades from the castle walls.

She pulled her purple cloak tighter around her shoulders. It was cool tonight, almost chilly, and she also felt safer with the cape around her. Although it was interesting how despite the shawl's brilliant shade of purple, once again none of the guards ever seemed to notice,

But, she reflected, they guards most likely wouldn't even notice if she wore a sign on her head proclaiming herself to by Uther's ward sneaking into the woods. The knights of Camelot may be known across the five kingdoms for their courage and ability, but the _guards_ of Camelot were not known for this. For obvious reasons.

She even managed to sneak a horse out of the stables, which she had done before. Every time she did this, however, she marveled at how stupid the guards were. Still, it allowed her to escape Camelot with no questions asked. She probably shouldn't complain too much.

_But when I take my rightful place on the throne,_ she thought. _I won't put up with such idiots in _my_ service._

The night veiled her ride through the forest, though she still kept watch for any possible approaching patrols still combing the woods for Arthur. She smirked at the thought. They would never find the prince. Not here, at least.

She recalled the directions her sister had given her to find Cenred. Morgana may despise the man and look upon him with the same emotions she did a rat, but she had to admit that he was not stupid. He had concealed himself deep in the forest outside Camelot, with only a few men to make them as inconspicuous as possible. Morgause had warned her sister that he'd only be in the area for a few days, another perfect reason for Morgana to so quickly search him out. She did not want to miss her chance.

She had been riding for a good portion of the night when she rode up to a place where the ground fell away, a ridge that showed her the border of the land of Essetir in the distance. She glanced around at the trees around her. Somewhere around here should be Cenred's hiding place.

She slipped gracefully off her horse and tied it to a nearby tree in order to make sure it did not wander off whilst she was gone. Once again bringing her sister's instructions to mind, Morgana raised her hand, palm-down, and focused her mind. Her control over her abilities was stronger now, but she still required quite a bit of concentration in order to cast her magic. She envied Morgause for being able to so easily use her power, but the older woman encouraged her sister with promises that one day, she, too would be just as powerful.

Morgana's eyes flashed gold, and a few sticks and leaves nearby began to smoke and flame. With another flash of her eyes, the smoke became stronger and floated up into the dark sky, just as Morgause had instructed her to do. Hopefully, Cenred would still see the signal, though he wouldn't be expecting her yet. She didn't want to spend too long out here. It was a long ride back to Camelot, and though the guards never did seem to suspect her, she didn't want to change that.

Besides, she didn't want to spend too much time in the company of Cenred.

She did not have to wait long, and soon the distinct sound of men's footsteps could be heard in the still night. At first, her heart leaped in her chest for fear that a Camelot patrol had seen the signal instead of Cenred. But as the figures moved closer, her fears were quelled by the sight of only three men, and none wearing the red cape of the knights of Camelot. As moonlight hit the features of the man in the forefront of the group, Morgana could make out the slim but still well-muscled frame of the king of Essetir, his rough beard and long, stringy brown hair a clear giveaway.

"Lady Morgana," Cenred stopped and gazed with beady dark eyes at the young woman who stood before him, wrapped in her purple cloak. He spoke in a tone as if he was in charge of everything that was happening, though nothing could be farther from the truth. Morgana admired the cunning of her sister: she manipulated Cenred's mind so well, making him feel as though he was important when he was really nothing but a pawn, a rather dim-witted donkey being led along by a rope.

"I had not expected to see you so soon. This means that either things are going very well, or your plan has failed."

Morgana bristled at the man's tone.

"I came to tell you to ready your men," she told him, forcefully restraining her annoyance. "Uther is already suffering from the loss of his son. I think it will only take a few days to bring him to a state where his guard will fall. You must be ready to strike when Camelot's defenses are weakest."

"But how do I know that Arthur will not return?" Cenred demanded. "Your previous attempts at getting rid our young Pendragon have failed. If Arthur returns, Uther will not be so weak anymore."

"I promise you, Cenred," Morgana said, finding herself to sound like her sister. "Arthur will not be a problem. As I speak, Morgause is searching to finish him off. And I know she will not fail."

"Very well," Cenred relented. Morgana found it interesting that even at the mention of Morgause's name Cenred seemed to become more agreeable. She certainly did have him under her spell. "How long until the kingdom will be weak enough?"

"Only a few days more," Morgana told him with certainty. "By the time you have your army ready to march, the kingdom will be ready to fall."

Cenred studied her for a long time, and then bowed his head in mock respect.

"So be it, my lady," he said, an ironic smile playing on his lips. "I trust we will not fail this time."

Morgana chose not to answer that. Her eyes narrowed as he turned to face his two bodyguards.

"Well, gentlemen," he said. "We have an army to prepare. Tonight will return to Essetir."

The two men, whose faces were masked so Morgana could not make out even their expressions (which unnerved her more than she'd like to admit), nodded their consent. Cenred turned back to the young woman, who once more bristled at his eyes on her. She tolerated Cenred because her sister knew how easy he was to manipulate, but Morgana hated the look in his eyes. She didn't trust him any further than she could throw him.

"My lady," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. "I hope to see you again soon. It has been a pleasure, as always."

"I cannot say the same," Morgana replied bitterly. Cenred smiled wickedly and turned once more to his men. Without another word, the three shrank back into the forest as quickly and quietly as they had appeared in the first place. Once they were finally out of her sight, only then did Morgana allow herself to relax slightly.

As she made her way back to her horse, she resisted the urge to find the nearest stream and wash her hand where Cenred's filthy mouth had touched it. She shuddered at the thought of him. But she also knew that he was a strong enemy of Camelot, and she could rely on him to bring a powerful enough army to aid in the downfall of the powerful kingdom. She required his services, no matter how revolting the man was.

Still, she wouldn't be sad to see him "accidently" killed in the battle that was to come between his men and knights of Camelot. Perhaps she could persuade her sister into achieving that.

Morgana mounted her white horse and cast a cautious glance about her surroundings before spurring the animal into motion. She had achieved what she came here to do, and that pleased her, even if Cenred was at the centre of their plans.

As she made her way back to Camelot, she knew that as soon as Guinevere arrived in her chambers the next morning, she'd tell the servant to prepare her a bath. She needed to get the slimy feeling of Cenred off her as soon as possible.

* * *

**A/N: **Don't worry, my friends. Arthur, Merlin and co. will return in the next chapter on Friday. Till then, have a good week!


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Yay, next chapter! Thank you again for the reviews and favorites/ followings. I love you people.

Now I command you to go forth and read!

* * *

**Chapter 12- In Which The Plot Thickens**

"I don't understand how she found us," Merlin said, as he practically paced the length of Crystal's flat (which wasn't much room). The redhead frowned. If he went on like this he was going to wear a hole in her carpet. She wasn't quite sure how she'd explain _that_ to her landlord.

"She couldn't have seen us leave after we rescued Arthur," he continued.

"Yeah, she was a little out of it," Crystal commented dryly. Arthur, who was sitting on Crystal's couch, gave the pacing Merlin a look of disbelief.

"You knocked Morgause out?" he asked incredulously. Merlin nodded.

"Yup, with a lamp post," he answered with a grin. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"A _lamp post_," the prince repeated.

"How is it so hard to believe that I saved you and knocked Morgause out?" the black-haired boy pouted. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Just think about that sentence, Merlin," he said. "I'm sure it'll come to you eventually."

Crystal tried to smother a laugh as the boy glared daggers at the apparent prince before turning away.

"The point _is_," he reiterated. "Morgause was able to find us, and we don't know how."

"She's a sorceress," Arthur reminded him. "Can it really be that hard for her?"

"But still," Merlin put in. "She must have something to track you, some sort of spell."

"Because you know _so_ much about magic," the blonde said, rolling his eyes. Merlin frowned at him.

"It's just common sense," he argued. "There has to be _something_ drawing her to us. To _you_."

"I'm not going to even comment on how awkward that sounded," Crystal put in. Merlin regarded her with a brief glance. He leaned against the arm of the couch, thoughtful. As Crystal watched, his eye seemed to be drawn to the fact that Arthur was absentmindedly fingering a rather bloody and painful-looking wound around his wrist. How had she not seen that before?

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, obviously thinking the same as Crystal. "What happened to your wrist?"

The blonde glanced down at the injured appendage, as if just realizing it was there.

"I don't know," he admitted. "The bracelet must have caused it."

"Let me see it," Merlin said, holding out his hand. Reluctantly, Arthur allowed his manservant to examine the wound. Crystal found yet another washcloth and wet it under the tap, brought it to Merlin who used it to wipe away the worst of the blood. Crystal had never been a fan of blood, even watching some murder mystery shows was too much for her, and seeing the injury made her stomach churn slightly. But she'd had enough health classes in school to recognize a bad burn when she saw it.

But as Merlin cleaned the mangled skin, Crystal's eyes widened. This was more than just a burn. Once the blood was wiped away, a strange design began to appear along the skin, as if Arthur had been branded. It was a twisting, knotted design, like the Celtic knots that Crystal had seen in some stores and on some jewelry. But the most surprising part of the whole rather grotesque picture (as if it wasn't surprising enough) was that in the center of the twisting pattern was an unnatural blue mark, like the strangest bruise that Crystal had ever seen. As though that wasn't bad enough, the strange blue oval set into Arthur's skin was _glowing_.

Crystal looked away, her stomach twisting itself into knots.

"What _is_ that?" Arthur demanded, clearly horrified. Merlin studied it with grim displeasure.

"That," the dark-haired boy told them. "Is Morgause's mark. That's how she's been tracking you."

"And how can you tell?" Arthur asked, once again not believing his manservant. Crystal could now clearly tell that Arthur had no idea that Merlin was a sorcerer. That felt odd to Crystal, who understood from the legends about the great warlock who was as much a part of the old stories of Camelot as Arthur was (although, he was always pictured as an old man, not this young boy who stood in her flat now). But she remembered what Merlin had told her earlier about that Arthur could not know of his powers, and she decided there must be a reason.

Merlin glanced at Crystal, an obvious _"don't say anything" _glance. She understood he was warning her not to give away his knowledge of magic.

"I've heard about them, from Gaius," he replied. Crystal wondered if he was lying (she didn't know who Gaius was, though). "Priestesses of the Old Religion used to use spells that would mark their slaves so they'd always be able to find them."

Arthur grunted, seeming satisfied with this explanation.

"So, Morgause will be able to find you no matter what, then?" Crystal asked. Merlin nodded grimly.

"Yes."

Crystal rubbed the back of her neck.

"That means she'll be drawn here, at some point, doesn't it?" Crystal's voice had become weak with the realization. She couldn't imagine a powerful sorceress bursting into her flat to kidnap and kill a prince.

"That means we need to find that bracelet fast," Merlin said. "Before _she_ does."

"If she hasn't found it already," Arthur put in. "After all, she was there in the park. She could have gotten it after we escaped."

Merlin sighed and slumped down onto the couch.

"We have to figure out some way to get it back," he muttered, rubbing his face with a hand. Crystal sighed and glanced away, racking her brain for answers. The room fell silent for a while, as they all (or at least, Crystal and Merlin) tried to think of some solution.

Merlin was the first to break the silence.

"Crystal," he said causing the girl's attention to snap back to him.

"What?" she asked, taken off-guard.

"You'll have to go back to the park and look for that bracelet," he told her. Crystal's eyes widened.

"What? Why me?"

"Because," Merlin replied. "Arthur can't go; if Morgause is anywhere in that area, she'll catch him – "

"_You're_ not tagged," Arthur said to the secret warlock. "Why don't you go?"

"I have to stay here and protect _you_!" the warlock put in. Arthur fixed him with a stare as if he was struggling not to laugh. Considering the relationship Crystal had observed between these two, she wasn't too hard pressed to believe that that was exactly what the blonde wanted to do.

"_You_ are going to protect _me_," Arthur said slowly.

"You have no idea how many times I've saved your life," Merlin countered. If Arthur's eyebrows rose any higher, they'd fly off his head.

"Merlin, have you been at the cider again?"

"He's right," Crystal cut in, before the bickering got any worse. "Merlin's right. You'll have a better chance if two of you are here, if she comes. And it'll be easier and safer for just one person to sneak around. And only I know how to drive."

"You'll have to go back at night," Merlin said. "To be safe."

Crystal nodded.

"I understand," she said. She glanced at Arthur again, then back at Merlin. She had so many questions she was itching to ask the warlock, but knew she couldn't say any in front of his friend and master. Shifting slightly, she decided to ad-lib something.

"I think I have a first aid kit somewhere," she said. "But I think I put it on a shelf in the closet. Merlin, can you help me get it down?"

The black-haired boy looked clearly confused, but nodded.

"Yeah, sure," he agreed, and followed her into the bedroom at the back of the flat. Once safely away from Arthur, she turned to Merlin and lowered her voice.

"What are you planning?" she asked him. "I mean, is there any way you can…I don't know, use magic to stop the magic on Arthur?"

"I thought you needed help getting something," Merlin said, face blank. Crystal rolled her eyes.

"Don't you know an excuse when you hear it, Merlin?" she asked. Merlin's eyes widened in understanding.

"_Oh_…" he said. "But, I don't know if I can stop the spell. Not without Arthur noticing at least. I'd have to remove the spell from his arm directly, and he'd notice if it was suddenly gone. If I remember right, a spell like that has to be redone every few days. Morgause probably expected to have killed Arthur before it wore off."

"So there's nothing you can do?" she asked.

Merlin shrugged.

"I'll try placing a few spells around to see if I can…_mask_ it," he told her. "It might be able to throw Morgause off for a little. But we need that bracelet. I don't know how long I can keep her off our trail."

"And what are you planning to do with the bracelet once you get it back?" she asked him. Merlin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ms. Payne said I have to learn to control the bracelet," he told her. "She may be able to help me, but I'll have to be the one to use it."

"She told you that?" Crystal's eyes widened as the words sank into her brain. "She told you she knows magic?"

"She's a Druid," Merlin replied. His expressions became confused when he saw the amazement and utter shock on the redhead's face. "What?"

"It's just that…." Crystal pulled a face, trying to decide how she was going to tell him this. "She's not just my employer, Merlin. She's…kind of my great-aunt."

Now it was Merlin's turn to look shocked.

"_What_?" he asked.

"On my dad's side," she told him. "The only one of his family to stay in contact with us since he…well, since he's not in the picture. But how do you think I got my job? If it wasn't for her, I'd be working…well, I don't know what I'd be doing."

Merlin said nothing for a while, before finally replying, "I'm still thinking about what to do once we get the bracelet. We just have to focus on finding it first."

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed with a nod. She moved away from him into the bathroom attached to her room. She opened the linen closet door and pulled the familiar white box with the red cross on it, before exiting. She held it up for Merlin to see.

"First aid kit," she said. "In case he asks."

Merlin nodded, though clearly not understanding what a "first aid kit" actually was. Without another word, they exited the room and returned to where Arthur had seemingly discovered the remote for the television and was now standing and staring at it with a mixture of horror, suspicion, and amazement. When he heard them enter the room again, his eyes snapped up to them.

"What _is_ this thing?" he demanded. Crystal took a breath

_Here we go again._

* * *

The evening that past was uneventful but tense. All three inhabitants of the flat knew that somewhere out there, lurking through the streets of London and being drawn to the glowing light on Arthur's now bandaged wrist, was Morgause. All three knew that time was running out and sooner or later she'd end up at the flat. And none of them knew when that might be.

Crystal had been forced to go and find food for them, seeing that her supply of frozen dinners wouldn't feed the three of them and her supply of granola bars had been exhausted. So after grumbling about using something called a credit card, the redhead had left Merlin and Arthur and gone out shortly before returning with two paper bags of food. At first, when she unloaded the contents of the sacks onto plates and handed them to her two guests, Merlin had been slightly uncertain of the objects before him. One came in a paper wrapper, a sandwich of sorts with what seemed like ground meat topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles covered with one yellow sauce, one red sauce that tasted slightly of tomatoes, and one white sauce and then set between a seeded bun. The other half of the meal was long crispy-yet-fluffy strips of potato. The food smelled delicious, but honestly, Merlin had no idea what it was.

But, apparently, Crystal was getting used to the fact that her main role in this group was to explain things. So she told the two men (though Arthur didn't need much encouragement to eat and was already shoving down the sandwich-thing) that what they saw before them was a hamburger and chips, and to stop giving her weird looks and just eat it. Merlin did as she said and found the food to be quite tasty. Greasy and salty, it was unlike anything the warlock had ever had before, and certainly much better than the thin, watery soups that Gaius often served.

Arthur enjoyed the food even more than Merlin, to the point that he finished off both Merlin's uneaten chips and the rest of Crystal's hamburger for her. Finally satisfied, the blonde prince decided that the food was some of the best he'd ever had. Crystal had stared at him blankly for a few moments before shaking her head and clearing away the used dishes. Merlin overheard her muttering something about weirdos from Camelot as she walked into the kitchen.

Fortunately for Merlin, after Crystal had explained to Arthur that the television was _not_ going to hurt him, the blonde prince became absolutely engrossed in the programmes it showed, just as Merlin, admittedly, had been fascinated by them the night before. But tonight, he had no time for blue boxes or men named Sherlock who solved mysteries. And as Arthur was distracted with the moving pictures, Merlin quietly worked some magic to hopefully camouflage Crystal's house, if only for tonight. Hopefully by tomorrow, they'd have the bracelet and could figure out how to get home. But for tonight at least, they could have some level of security.

They waited a while before they decided it was safe for Crystal to venture out. After changing into dark clothes that would hopefully allow her to be a little more stealthy in the dark, the redhead deemed herself as ready as she'd ever be and, with a description of the bracelet from Arthur, and some general wishes of good luck, she left the two boys to start on her mission. But not before she gave them a stern warning that if she came back to discover had flat had been destroyed, they would wish they had never been born.

Not even Arthur questioned her threat.

"Be careful," Merlin told her as she started out the door. "We have no idea what Morgause might be willing to do."

"I'll be fine," she promised. "After all, you're evil sorceress isn't looking for me. She won't know who I am."

Merlin nodded his agreement, and watched as she walked out the front door, closing it behind her. He let out a breath before turning back around. He only hoped she was right. He had the idea that it was going to be a long night.

Arthur had already turned his attention back to the television, and though there seemed to be not much on, the prince had apparently found something to hold his attention. Merlin rolled his eyes. So many sarcastic comments, so little time.

Not really having any interest in the rather odd-looking show Arthur was now avidly watching, the warlock tried to find something else to hold his attention until Crystal returned. His gaze landed on a small bookshelf on the opposite side of the living area that he hadn't noticed before. Interest peaked, he made his way to it, knelt down where he'd be able to get a better view of the titles on the shelves.

Though peasants were not supposed to be able to read, Hunith, Merlin's mother, had taught her son the skills of reading and writing and math when he was a young child. And Merlin had always treasured reading, despite the fact that, poor as they were, books were nigh impossible to come by. He had once stolen a book from a tradesman who came to Ealdor, but that had proven to be a mistake. So the black-haired boy was delighted to find even a small collection of books, especially ones from the future, through which he could browse.

Settling himself, he chose several of the hard and paper-backed books and began to carefully inspect each one. Some he decided to leave for another day, while others caught and held his attention, including the collection of _Harry Potter_ books. Merlin could remember Crystal asking him if he was like the apparent main character of these books, and he couldn't help but be curious, as the summary detailed tales of a magical boy.

And yet, something drew his eye back to the shelf again. Carefully, the warlock selected one certain book and turned it over in his hands. His eyes widened slightly. Across the spine of this particular tome was written _The Legend of King Arthur and Camelot_.

Merlin glanced briefly to where Arthur was still absorbed in the television. Now extremely interested, Merlin set down the other book he'd been holding and cracked open his new find.

Inside Merlin found not only tales of the great King Arthur and his "Knights of the Round Table", but also paintings and drawings of everyone from Lancelot to Arthur himself. Merlin found the text almost unnerving, as the tales told of things that had not yet come about. However, what he found most shocking was the parts that talked of _him_. It was strange to read about himself, in a book thousands of years in his future. Ms. Payne had been right: his name had not faded from history.

Though, he had to admit, the stories contained in this particular book were almost laughable. They kept portraying him as an old man. Why, he wasn't quite certain. He wasn't entirely sure if he _wanted_ to know either. Something told him he probably shouldn't be reading about things yet to come. So eventually he forcefully set the book down, deciding it would be best not to read anymore. He stared at it for a while, and then glanced over at Arthur. He recalled how excited the prince had been to know that he was a character of legend. The warlock looked back at the book and frowned. Though he knew that Arthur would almost rather cut a finger off than read a book, Merlin couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about leaving the text in the open where the blonde would be able to see it. And for one main reason: the book clearly and bluntly told of Merlin's magic. Merlin didn't want to think what would happen if Arthur, deciding to read about the legends written about him, picked up the book and read of his manservant's great powers. There might be a chance that the prince would laugh it off and not believe of word of it, but there was also a chance that he might decide what the book said was true. Then where would Merlin be? No, Arthur couldn't see this particular book. So, after a few minutes of quiet debate with himself as to what to do with it, Merlin carefully shoved it behind a few other books, making sure it was out of sight

That done, he returned to the _Harry Potter_ book he'd found and began to read.

* * *

He didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep until he was awoken. Awoken by the strange sense that something was very, very wrong.

It was unlike anything the warlock had ever felt before. There had been a sense of powerful magic when Tauren had used the Alchemists' Stone in Tom's forge in the middle of the night. That had been a sharp singing in his mind. But this…this was nothing like that at all. This was a feeling as if the entire world had suddenly been turned upside-down, shaken, twisted like a cloth being wrung out, then shaken again and dropped.

The experience was far, far from pleasant. Merlin's eyes flickered open and he gripped his head with a moan. He'd been sitting against the book shelf, legs spread out in front of him. Now he pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his forehead against them and trying desperately to minimize the horrid feeling that was churning his stomach, causing his head to pound and his world to spin. Merlin groaned pitifully, not even thinking about what would happen if Arthur heard his agony. He didn't even remember that Crystal was out in the streets of London somewhere, searching for the bracelet that would get Merlin and Arthur home. He didn't even worry if she was back yet, if she was safe. All he could feel was the all-consuming pain that coursed roughly through his system.

He curled himself into a tighter ball, and his body finally decided that it had had enough. He'd have to wait to find out just what had caused such pain, as his mind was plunged back into darkness.

* * *

**A/N:** So, yes, a cliffhanger. Sorry about that*, I guess you'll just have to come back for the next chapter and hope that it's not a "Meanwhile Back in Camelot" chapter, huh? And yes, I did include another Harry Potter reference, because I thought it would be entertaining for Merlin to read the HP books. Although, once more I have to remind you all that I'm not actually an HP fan, so that's mainly as far as my HP references will go. Many apologies. Still hope you liked it. =)

(*=No, not really)


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N:** This chapter probably gave me some of the most trouble in the writing of this story simply for the fact of how I wanted things to change. There's literally an entire "deleted scene" from this (which, unfotunatly, I think I may have just deleted completly) where I changed things a lot more dramatically than what occurs in this finished chapter. Also, I had a lot of trouble with timing, and how long I wanted to bang out the "get the bracelet" issue. By the time I got to writing this chapter, I was fairly tired of the whole goose chase for the bracelet, which is why I went the direction I did. Hope you enjoy it anyways.

* * *

**Chapter 13- Which Involves Mixed-Up Memories and Murdering Carrots**

The next time he awoke, it was to someone calling his name. Merlin's eyes flickered open, and he blinked a few times before becoming aware that Crystal was staring straight into his face, her brown eyes rather wild.

Merlin started, jerking himself awake.

"You comfortable down there?" she asked. "Were you sleeping on the floor all night?"

Merlin rubbed the back of his head, wincing at the dull throbbing of the headache that had not faded. He wasn't in the agonizing pain of last night, but he certainly wasn't feeling the best, either. His heart suddenly began hammering against his chest as he recalled the terrifying feeling of the world twisting, of his magic screaming inside him. Yes, that was what it had been. His magic had been _screaming_. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was far from good. They needed to get back to Camelot.

Crystal had moved away and was tending to a brown bag that she was carrying into the kitchen. Merlin struggled to his feet and watched her. There was something slightly off about her that he couldn't put his finger on.

But his mind quickly snapped back to the present. If she was here, then that meant she must have gotten back with the bracelet. His heart began to pound again in urgency.

"Did you find it?" he asked quickly, as he struggled to his feet. She stood in the kitchen, pulling a myriad of food items from the brown bag. To his surprise, she barely looked up when he asked.

"Find what?" she asked, casually. Merlin's forehead creased slightly in confusion at her tone. Was she joking?

"The bracelet," he answered, nonplussed. "That you went out for last night."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered, finally looking up and giving him an odd look. "I was here all night. I went out this morning to get groceries. I don't know if you've noticed, but we're running a little low."

"How do you not know what I'm talking about?" Merlin demanded, walked forward to stand in front of her in the kitchen. "Arthur and I _need_ that bracelet to get back to Camelot!"

She glared at him, her arms filled with some bags of vegetables.

"I don't know what you're going on about, Merlin," she said slowly. "But I have things to do, so please get out of my way."

Merlin blinked down at her. Was it just him, or was there something slightly off in her eyes? He'd noticed earlier that they seemed wild, but when he really looked he saw a level of frustration and annoyance in there. And he was fairly certain it _wasn't_ aimed at him.

She moved around him, pushing him slightly aside. As she dropped her burdens on the countertop, she glanced back at him over her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she asked, offhandedly. "You look kind of pale."

Merlin didn't answer, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at her.

"What happened last night?" he murmured, mostly to himself. Crystal made an exasperated noise and looked up at him, her eyes flashing.

"Why do you keep asking that?" she demanded, her voice sharper than usual. "I told you. Leave me alone."

Merlin stared at her for a while, and she at him before she returned to her vegetable sorting. There was absolutely no doubting it: there was something very, very wrong. He prayed to whoever might be listening that Morgause hadn't gotten to Crystal and erased her memory. If Morgause had gotten hold of that bracelet….well, it wouldn't look good for him and Arthur.

Remembering the blonde prince, Merlin left Crystal to her irritated sorting and moved to Arthur's side where the older man was still asleep on the couch. Merlin took Arthur by the shoulder and gently shook the snoring prince.

"Arthur, wake up," the servant said, earning a grumble from his master. Even so, Arthur's eyelids opened, and the prince glared up at his black-haired manservant.

"Good morning, Sire," Merlin said cheerily, despite the currently pressing circumstances. Honestly, he just couldn't resist annoying Arthur. The blonde subsequently glared even harder at the scrawny boy.

"Not when you're the first person I see," he muttered in response and struggled up into a sitting position. Crystal's movements to the side seem to attract Arthur's attention and he turned to look at her. His blue eyes widened, the grogginess seeming to disappear, replaced by the same urgency Merlin felt.

"Did you find it?" he asked eagerly, leaping to his feet. "The bracelet, where is it?"

Merlin winced as Crystal slammed her hand on the countertop with surprising force. Her eyes flashed in anger and she turned her attention away from the groceries to the blonde prince.

"Why do you keep asking me about some damn bracelet?" she demanded, her voice rising in anger. "I don't know anything about a bracelet!"

Both Merlin and Arthur were taken aback by the force of her voice. Arthur looked like he was going to drop his jaw on the floor. Not only did he stare at her as if she'd just grown a second head, but also a third along with a pair of wings, fangs, and a tail which she had just slapped him with. But his utter bewilderment quickly turned to anger. He stalked forward, and Merlin followed, ready to break up the inevitable storm that was about to come, what with Crystal's strange mood and Arthur's typical before-breakfast attitude.

"_What_ do you _mean_ you don't know anything about the bracelet?" he demanded, voice dangerously low. "We sent you out last night to get it. Where is it?"

"Look," Crystal said, her voice matching his. She walked out of the kitchen to stand in front of him, facing him off. "_I don't know about a bracelet_. I didn't go out last night. I was here all night, and I have _no idea_ what you and Merlin keep talking about. You are guests in my home, but I can change that very quickly."

Arthur was seething.

"Do you know how important that bracelet is?" his voice was slowly beginning to rise, as was Crystal's when she replied.

"No! I don't! Would you like to tell me, or keep demanding to know where something is that I have no idea about?"

Arthur opened his mouth to say something back to her, most likely something he would regret later, and Merlin decided to step in before something got thrown or someone got hit. He wasn't worried about Arthur hurting a girl. But he wasn't quite sure what Crystal would do to Arthur and he didn't really want to find out.

"Wait," he said, holding his hands up and standing between the two of them. "Just calm down."

"_Calm down_?" Arthur demanded. "Merlin, we're trapped two thousand years in the future, being hunted by Morgause, only to find that the person we sent to find the only thing that can get us back to Camelot has _forgotten_ about it!"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Crystal snapped, and once more Merlin caught that strange flash in her eyes. Something did happen last night, and he had to figure it out.

"It wasn't her fault," Merlin told Arthur, seriously. "Something's happened."

"You're wrong," Crystal argued. "Nothing's happened."

Merlin looked back at her. Their eyes met, and he thought for certain he saw fear in there, before it passed and was replaced by anger and annoyance.

But there was something else, too. Something that was niggling at the back of his mind that he hadn't been able to put his finger on until now.

He glanced back to the couch where Arthur had been sleeping. And now it came to him. He'd just been too distracted to notice it.

"Where's the TV?" he asked. Crystal snorted her derision, but Arthur followed his servant's gaze. Sure enough, the box with the moving pictures on it which had stood there so resolutely the night before was now missing. There wasn't even an indentation in the carpet.

"Stupid question," Crystal snapped, rolling her eyes. She moved back to her kitchen, as if in attempt to ignore them both. "I don't have one."

Merlin stared at her.

"I'm fairly certain you had one yesterday," Arthur replied, stealing Merlin's words. Crystal snorted.

"No, I didn't," she replied. "Trust me. They're too expensive."

Merlin and Arthur shared a look.

"What's wrong with her?" the blonde demanded. Merlin shook his head.

"I don't know," he replied. "Maybe Morgause found her last night. She caused the guards at the jail to forget."

"How could Morgause have known about her, though?" Arthur pointed out. Merlin sighed and rubbed the back of his head, his headache making it hard for him to think straight. Somehow, he seemed to think that this was something more than Morgause getting a hold of Crystal. He remembered the pain he'd woken up from in the night. Something very wrong had happened, was _still_ happening. His magic was responding to it, and his body, too, was suffering. But just what had happened?

On a whim, the warlock happened to glance over at the one window in the main area of the flat that looked out onto the street below. Merlin had seen the view from it a few times, but had never really looked. Now he crossed over to it and looked out the glass, the third story view giving him a surprisingly decent perspective of the street.

His eyes narrowed as he looked down on the buildings below.

"Arthur, come here," he said, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde. Arthur didn't even give any snide remarks about Merlin giving orders, which the warlock interpreted to mean that the prince was deeply concerned.

"What is it?" he asked as he came to stand beside his manservant and look out at the skyline that they could see. Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly.

"It's different," Merlin told him. The two men looked down on the world below. What Merlin had said was indeed true. They may have only been in this time for a short while, but they had seen the buildings outside Crystal's flat enough to recognize them. And things were definitely different. Not _totally_ different. Just a little bit. For one thing, the taller buildings were shorter now. Some of the shops that had been along the street below were gone.

And for another, there was a fraction of the cars on the road. Merlin remembered the heavy traffic in the days before. Now only three or four cars traveled down the highway. And the warlock knew that that was a major difference.

"It's not _that_ different," he said, mostly to himself. "Just a few things."

He turned away, leaving Arthur still staring out the window. He turned his eyes back to Crystal, who seemed to be devoting her time to murdering a carrot with a knife. Merlin winced at the force she was using to chop it.

"Crystal," he said, stepping carefully towards her, keeping his on the knife she was wielding. "What do you remember about last night?"

She stopped and raised the knife.

"I swear…" she started, but Merlin brought up his hands.

"Really," he said seriously. "I need you to think. Is there _anything_ you remember about last night? Anything."

Crystal lowered the knife she was using, and didn't make eye contact with him.

"No," she muttered hastily, but Merlin could tell she didn't believe herself. He leaned forward, setting his hands on the countertop.

"You need to tell me," he said urgently. "Something happened last night, and I need you to remember."

"Nothing happened last night," the anger was back in her voice and she glared up at him. "And I don't know what you keep talking about. Everything's the same. Nothing's changed. Leave me alone."

Merlin shook his head.

"You don't believe that yourself," he told her. Her eyes narrowed, but he could see uncertainty in there, and yes, definitely fear this time.

"You're wrong," she said flatly. "That's what happened."

Merlin glanced back at Arthur who was still looking out the window, expression unreadable. Merlin knew there was something going on in Crystal's mind, but he needed help in pulling it out. She was stubborn, and whatever she was fighting against it was tearing her apart.

"Do you know my name?" he suddenly asked, catching her off guard. She looked at him in what seemed to be becoming a normal look for her: like he had two heads.

"You're Merlin," she replied, returning to her chopping.

"And him?" Merlin continued, pointing to Arthur who was still staring out the window at the world below.

"Arthur," she replied, not fazed.

"Do you know why we're here?" he asked. "Why we're in your home?"

The knife stopped its progress through another carrot, and she stared at it as if the answers were written on its orange flesh.

"You're here because…." She started, but trailed off. The annoyance in her voice had been replaced by concentration and uncertainty. She scrutinized the vegetable before her. "Because…"

"He's the prince," Merlin answered for her, motioning to Arthur. "He's Prince Arthur, and I'm his manservant, and we were sent here by magic. You were helping us get back home."

Crystal snorted in unbelieving amusement and returned to hacking apart her carrot. But Merlin noticed her movements now seemed to be slower, almost uncertain. But she kept her eyes from his so he couldn't read her face.

"That's crazy," she replied. "We already have princes here, and Arthur's not one of them. There is no Prince Arthur."

Merlin looked up at Arthur to find that the blonde had turned his attention to the two arguing in the kitchen. Their eyes met, and Merlin looked away, desperate to find something to help him. Anything that might be able to jog Crystal's memory. She knew that something wasn't right. She was fighting against it, but for some reason something kept going wrong. She needed to be convinced, and he needed to find something to convince her.

An idea suddenly appeared in his mind, and his eyes snapped to the small bookshelf he'd fallen asleep against the night before. Without a second thought, he darted over to it and began pulling volumes off it in search of his target. He prayed it was still there, unlike the TV that was now gone.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked, watching his manservant literally clawing books off the shelf. Merlin didn't answer, his hands groping at the space at the back of the shelf. His heart leaped in his chest when his fingers brushed against the spine of a book, hidden behind the others. He pulled it out, displacing several others on the shelf. He couldn't believe his luck. He flipped the book over in his hands, and, sure enough, across the spine were still the words _The Legend of King Arthur and Camelot_. He was amazed. Somehow, someway, the book hadn't been spirited away when…whatever had happened last night. Eagerly, he opened it. But immediately his forehead creased in confusion and concern.

The book was blank.

He flipped through the pages, but where there were once pictures and text describing the glorious adventures of the King of Camelot, there were now blank, white pages with not even numbers on them.

"What is that?" Arthur asked, but once again Merlin did not answer, instead leaped back to his feet. It would have to do.

"Crystal," he said, darting back over to her.

"What?" she snapped. Merlin wasn't entirely sure if the annoyance was aimed at him or not, but he pressed on anyways.

"Look at this," he said. "This is a book about Arthur, _King_ Arthur, and Camelot."

He set it down on the counter, and she glanced at it.

"I don't know who that is," she grumbled.

"Open it," he urged her. She looked reluctant at first, hesitated briefly before setting down the knife and picking up the book. She opened it and flipped through the pages.

"It's blank," she said, unimpressed, and set it back down. Merlin grabbed it and waved it front of her face.

"Exactly," he said. "Why would you have a blank book on your bookshelf?"

Crystal shrugged and returned to chopping her carrot. Merlin winced at the ferocity she used to dice the unsuspecting orange root.

"Must have been a misprint," she mumbled. Merlin shook his head.

"Yesterday, this book wasn't blank," he told her. "It was about Arthur. The entire thing. Now it's blank. How do you explain that?"

Crystal threw her knife down and turned angrily towards him.

"I don't know!" she yelled. Merlin stood his ground.

"Crystal," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at his touch. "You know something isn't right, you know this isn't how things are supposed to be. You need to remember. Arthur and I need your help."

"I…I…can't…" she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Please," Merlin said. "We need you to remember. You can do it."

"It's…just…"

"Come on," he urged her. She glanced up at him then closed her eyes once more, her face contorting in concentration.

"Come on…." He said again. She bit her lip, and a single tear fell from her eye. Suddenly, her whole body seemed to relax, and she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Just for a second, Merlin was certain he had seen the brown irises turn gold, but it was gone before he could confirm it.

She gazed steadily at him and nodded.

"Okay," she said. "I remember."

* * *

"Not everything's different," Crystal observed as she stood beside Arthur and Merlin at the window. She still held the blank book of Arthurian legends in her hand. Merlin glanced sideways at her.

"Let me see that," he said, holding his hand out. She handed him the book and he flipped it back open, leafing through the blank white pages. He frowned as he looked up from it to the scene outside the window. Just a few things were different, like something small had been altered.

_"Time itself cannot take such drastic changes. If you and the young prince remain here for too much longer, the timeline of the world will be permanently altered, causing great chaos."_

The words that Ms. Payne had said to him the day before echoed in his mind and Merlin's eyes widened slightly. Was that what was happening? Were he and Arthur altering time? It wasn't anything major _now_, but if they stayed here for too much longer, there was a chance that things would get thrown out of control.

"It just doesn't make sense," Arthur said. "Why are only some things different? Why not everything?"

"I think I know what's happening," Merlin said suddenly. Both sets of eyes turned to look at him. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be, _Mer_lin?" he asked. Merlin lifted the book and waved it back and forth for emphasis.

"This book wasn't blank yesterday," he said. "It was full of stories. Stories about _you_, Arthur. But today, it has nothing. Why?"

"Because you're _here_," Crystal said, eyes lighting up in realization. "That's why there's no stories about you. Because you weren't there to _make_ them!"

"That's encouraging," Arthur muttered. "But why isn't _everything_ different? Why just the TV and the cars, and a few of the buildings?"

"The changes have only started. Nothing noticeable at first, just a few small things," Merlin guessed. "But the longer we're here, the more things will change until the changes are irreversible."

"I…seem to remember that things are really expensive right now," Crystal said. After Merlin had managed to bring her back to her old memories, Crystal had found that not only could she remember everything from the true timeline, but also remember information from this alternate one. "Things like cars and electronics are expensive and only the wealthy can afford them."

"Why does that have anything to do with my not being king?" Arthur questioned.

"Like Merlin said, it's just little changes," Crystal said. "You not being king might not have anything to do with it directly, but indirectly, over two thousand years, it did have an impact. The longer you're here, the more things will change. Who knows how big of an impact your loss will have on time."

Arthur smirked.

"Did you hear that, Merlin?" he said to the frowning warlock. "An _impact_."

"Yeah, who knew that one less prat could have such an effect on time," he retorted. Arthur rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. A movement out the corner of his eye caught Merlin's attention and he glanced to see Crystal rubbing at the back of her head, her forehead slightly creased.

"You alright?' he asked. She looked up and frowned.

"I keep thinking there's something I'm forgetting," she admitted. "Something important…."

"How long do you think we'll have before time changes too much?' Arthur asked, changing the subject. Merlin frowned and shrugged.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe not even a day? Or two. I wish Gaius was here."

Crystal had walked away to put the rest of the groceries away, and apparently to get rid of the chopped carrots. After she'd come back to her memories, she'd realized what she was doing with disgust: she hated carrots.

Noticing that the third party was gone, Arthur glanced at his manservant.

"Missing home, Merlin?" he asked, and the black-haired boy was surprised to hear no teasing in his master's voice.

He nodded.

"Yeah," was the quiet admittance. Arthur looked at Merlin and nodded, his eyes soft. He glanced back out the window.

"Me, too," he agreed softly. Merlin looked to the blonde with surprise, but before he could reply to him, Arthur turned around, the moment of friendship between the two vanishing. Merlin half-smiled. That was Arthur's way, he supposed.

"We still need that bracelet," the prince stated. Crystal rubbed her forehead with her hands, squeezing her eyes shut.

"The bracelet…" she muttered to herself. Arthur sighed with exasperation.

"_Please_ tell me that you remember it now," he said dryly. Crystal lowered her hand and glared at him.

"_Yes_ I remember," she answered tartly.

"We'll have to go back out and try to find it," Merlin said. "If Morgause hasn't already gotten a hold of it."

"We don't have time to wait for night again," Arthur put in. "Like you said, Merlin, we don't have long until things start getting out of control. We have to find that bracelet and somehow get back to Camelot."

"Crystal, you'll have to take us back to the park," Merlin said, turning to the girl. She seemed distracted, and shook her head as if trying to clear it.

"You forget," she answered. "That I don't have a car anymore. It disappeared, like the television."

"Damn it," Arthur muttered. Merlin shook his head.

"No, we'll be okay," he said. "Just find us a car and we'll be fine. Crystal, can you do that?"

But she wasn't even looking at him. She stared down at her feet as if they were suddenly the most interesting things in the world. Her forehead was creased in a mixture of concentration and frustration, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the counter. Merlin's face grew concerned.

"Crystal?" he asked, stepping forward. She held up a hand.

"No," she told him, her voice sounding strained. "Be quiet. I'm…trying to think…"

Merlin and Arthur exchanged a glance before looking back at the girl. She ran a hand through her brown-red hair.

"The bracelet…." They heard her mutter to herself. She glanced back up at them, and suddenly, a spark seemed to light in her eye.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked tentatively. She half smiled and leaned down, pulling up the left leg of her jeans and fiddling with the sock underneath. When she straightened again, she was smiling wildly.

"I remembered," she said. She held her hands out and Merlin's face broke into a grin. Arthur laughed in triumph behind him.

"That's brilliant!" Merlin couldn't help saying.

There, in her hands, was the bracelet.

* * *

**A/N:** And now you see what I was talking about before. I didn't have any desire to extend the bracelet issue, which would have taken up several more chapters of trying to find the bracelet and blah-blah-blah. I figured if _I_ was tired with chasing the bracelet around by this point, you would have been, too. It was easier to go this direction. Btw, this isn't apologizing for my work. It's simply an explination of why the heck I shoved in this deus ex machinae, which I'm fairly certain I misspelt, but oh well.

On a completly different note, Happy National Grammar Day to all of you who live in the good ol' US of A.

See you Friday!


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Okay, so first of all I must apologize for posting this chapter so late. Friday was the beginning of spring break, and I went home with my roommate since I can't afford a plane ticket to fly back to my family. So we left pretty early in the morning in order to beat Winter Storm Triton, and we were on the road all day so I had no chance to post. Yesterday I was busy with my roommate's family and didn't get the chance to post either. So, here you guys go finally. Sorry about that :)

Second of all, do you know what really annoys me? Looking back through all my previous chapters and seeing spelling mistakes in my author's notes. I'm very sorry about all that. I'm the queen of typos, so I'll try to be more careful in the future.

Anyways, on to Chapter 14!

* * *

**Chapter 14- In Which There Is Trouble**

"So, what do you remember from last night?" Merlin urged Crystal. Crystal stood beside the couch where Arthur and Merlin were sitting, the bracelet in Merlin's hands as he fiddled absentmindedly with it. Once in a while, when Arthur was distracted, he'd concentrate his powers in it, try to figure it out. But with Arthur hanging around, he wouldn't be able to do much with it.

Crystal shrugged.

"Not much," she admitted. "I remember leaving here, and driving to the park. Once I got there, I found the bracelet, but things started getting weird. I _felt_ weird, like….it's hard to describe. Like the world was twisting or something."

Merlin frowned. He knew the feeling.

"I think that was when I put the bracelet on my ankle, because I wanted to hide it. That's kind of foggy, though, I don't really remember it that well. I guess I passed out then. When I woke up, I had…different memories in my mind. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I can still feel them, too. Memories, in the back of my mind. It's like I have two different lives."

She rubbed her forehead with a hand and Merlin felt immediately sorry for her. It was clear she was confused, what with two separate sets of memories crammed into her brain. It couldn't be easy.

"Why weren't _we_ affected, though?" Arthur asked, looking to Merlin. "We still remember everything."

"I think it has something to do with the fact that we're what's causing the changes in the first place," Merlin explained carefully.

"And you're not from this time anyways," Crystal added. "So you don't have any memories to replace."

Arthur hummed in response, but it was clear that this was a little beyond the prince that had been raised to know how to lead troops into battle and make peace between kingdoms, not stuff like this.

A moment of silence passed between them before Arthur suddenly took the bracelet from Merlin's hand and studied it, obviously slightly wary of the magical item.

"Now that we have it," he said. "What do we do with it?"

"Only magic can get us back to Camelot," Merlin said, rubbing the back of his neck. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I _know_ that," he said. "But we don't actually know anyone who can use magic. And I don't think Morgause would be too willing to help us."

Merlin took the bracelet back form Arthur and fiddled with it. He could feel its power, and he understood a tiny portion of it, but not nearly enough yet to wield it. If only he could tell Arthur that he had magic, and he would be able to get them back. But it wasn't possible. He couldn't do that to him, to put him in a position where he'd be forced to choose between his manservant and his father. Merlin knew that one day, he'd be able to show Arthur what he really was without worrying about a possible death sentence looming over his head. But for now…he'd just have to keep bluffing. And he hated it.

He glanced up at Crystal, who looked back at him and seemed to understand his thoughts. He appreciated that she'd kept his secret safe, away from Arthur. He wondered, a tiny bit though, if she had some Druid blood in her, seeing that Ms. Payne was her great-aunt. It would explain why it was so easy for her to shake off the other memories that the shift in time had caused, and it would confirm that he _had_ seen her eyes change colour. She probably didn't even realize she had power.

"I may know someone," she said, drawing Arthur's attention.

"Who?"

"My manager, Ms. Payne," she said. "She…might know about magic."

Arthur rubbed his face with a hand.

"My father wouldn't approve of this," he muttered darkly to himself. Merlin leaned forward.

"Arthur, there isn't another way," he told the blonde. "Magic is the only way we can get back to Camelot. And we're running out of time."

"I know her," Crystal promised. "She's a good woman. She might be annoyingly stern, but she's not evil. She'll help us, I promise."

Arthur looked between the two and nodded.

"I know," he said. "But, Merlin, you are _not_ to tell my father about _anything_ that has happened, is that clear?"

"Yes, Sire," Merlin agreed with a nod.

"Good. Now what are we waiting for? We're running out of time."

Arthur stood and turned towards the door. Crystal and Merlin shared a glance before following him.

* * *

They knew they had to move quickly. Arthur was right that they didn't have time to wait for night again and send Crystal out solo. Besides the fact that they weren't entirely sure that if time shifted again that she'd stay in control of her memories. Merlin was pretty certain she would, seeing that she did have Druid blood, but Arthur couldn't know that and Crystal doubted herself, which was only to be expected.

But traveling with all three of them meant that Morgause would be lurking on their tail, picking up on the magical tag on Arthur once more. Merlin was relieved that the spells he'd put in place the night before had worked, but out from the protection of Crystal's flat, they were back into the fire.

Merlin also hoped that Ms. Payne hadn't been affected by the time shift like Crystal had. If she didn't remember them and refused to help them, then they were all screwed. Or at least, they were until Merlin could safely figure out how to use the bracelet without Arthur discovering that his manservant was actually an extremely powerful warlock who had been practicing magic under his nose for about three years now.

And, of course, there was the fact that now that time had shifted, Crystal didn't have a car anymore. And it was raining. Brilliant.

"Yesterday, this parking lot was full of cars," Crystal griped as the trio stood in the middle of the now-empty tarmacked lot. "But today, there's not even one."

"You said that cars were too expensive now," Merlin reminded her. She sighed and nodded.

"I just wish _my_ car hadn't disappeared," she muttered. "I took such good care of that thing, too…"

"I'm sure it'll come back when we set things straight," the warlock assured her. She glared at him.

"It had better," she said flatly. Merlin didn't pursue the threat in her voice.

"So what do we do now?" Arthur interjected. A moment of silence passed as they stared around at the empty lot, willing just _one_ car to appear. Merlin glanced sideways at Crystal.

"We'll just have to find one," Merlin decided. Crystal sighed.

"Well, I already survived a car chase after a witch without a speeding ticket. I guess I'll just go ahead and ad car theft to my record, too," she muttered. Merlin smiled brightly at her.

"Look on the bright side," he said. "Once we get things back to normal, no one will ever know!"

"That's hoping we don't get caught in _this_ timeline first," she retorted.

"Merlin," Arthur called. The black-haired boy looked round to find that his master had moved to the other side of the parking lot. With a look at Crystal, he jogged to catch up with him.

"What is it?" Merlin asked. Arthur held a finger to his lips to hush him and motioned for him and Crystal to crouch behind the dumpster that the prince was now using as cover.

"Look," he said, voice low. The three popped their heads up just above the top of the metal box, and Merlin's heart caught in his throat. A car was parked on the other side of the street from them. A smile tugged at his lips. This was their chance.

"We'll need the keys," Crystal reminded the two boys. Arthur nodded.

"Merlin," he said to his servant. "The man's just inside that shop, see him?"

Arthur pointed to one of the store-front windows. It wasn't hard figuring out that he was the one who owned the car. Not only was he dressed better than the man who was behind the counter attending to him, but he also seemed to be the only person on the street today, at least in this section. It was weird to see such a great city this quiet and deserted.

"When he comes out, I need you to distract him," Arthur continued. "I'll come up behind and knock him out. Crystal, you'll get the keys and start the car. Got it?"

Merlin and Crystal glanced at each other and nodded. Merlin frowned slightly. Why did _he_ always get stuck with the distraction?

"Wait for it…" Arthur whispered. They watched with bated breath as the man inside the shop exchanged money with the man behind the counter. Suddenly, Merlin felt Arthur's hand on his shirt as the prince propelled him forward. Merlin was pushed out from behind the dumpster and into the street, with a firm, "_Go!_" from the prince. Merlin staggered forward and managed to walk across the deserted highway to the other side, just as the man was stepping out the door of the shop. And even though he hadn't really been planning it, Merlin ran into the man, causing him to drop the bag he was carrying.

The man cursed colourfully and turned his attention on the black haired warlock. Merlin thought fast.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I should really watch where I'm going. Here, let me get that for you."

Merlin leaned forward to pick up the fallen bag, but the man swatted his hand away.

"Get your hands off my stuff," he growled, snatching the bag up for himself. He turned livid green eyes on the black haired boy, and Merlin saw movement over the man's right shoulder, but his attention quickly snapped back to his target.

"Who do you think you are, anyways?" the man demanded. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know," Merlin said casually. "Just waiting for him."

He pointed over the man's shoulder, and the guy turned to find Arthur's fist in his face. He crumpled to the ground and Crystal ran up behind where Arthur was now standing above the unconscious man.

"What the heck?" the redhead asked, nonplussed. "Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Arthur assured her.

"And if time shifts again, he won't even remember," Merlin added, though feeling slightly sorry for knocking out a random passerby. The man hadn't even done them any harm except say some rather demeaning swear words to Merlin. But he supposed desperate times called for desperate measures.

Crystal knelt beside the man and rummaged through his pockets, finding his car keys in little time. She grabbed them out and nodded to the car.

"Let's get out of here before someone sees us," she said. Merlin and Arthur didn't have to be told twice, and soon all three were inside the tiny, blue and white car that said "Cooper" on the back. This time, though, Merlin had snatched the front seat before Arthur could reach it and the prince was relegated to the rear of the car.

Crystal jammed the key into the engine and it turned smoothly over before she pulled out onto the mostly empty highway.

"Seems like you to do that type of thing a lot," she mentioned casually. Merlin and Arthur shared a look.

"Yeah, sometimes," Merlin agreed with a shrug. Crystal rolled her eyes.

"You know it's bad when things start not surprising you anymore," the girl stated. Merlin laughed slightly as they zipped down the eerily quiet streets.

* * *

Morgause had been furious. Somehow, someway, Arthur had managed to evade her. She'd attacked him in the park, and still he had gotten away from her unharmed. How, she didn't know. And how that _idiot_ had lost control of his two-wheeled contraption and had run into her was beyond her as well. By the time she'd thrown the man off, Arthur, his manservant, and the red-haired girl with them were all gone. She'd been furious, and had almost been caught by the idiot men in this time who were like the guards of Camelot. They came almost instantly, alerted to her explosions. They'd tried to catch her, tried to trap her in order to question her, but she'd eluded them. It had taken time, more time than she cared to think about, time that she could have used tracking Arthur. But it didn't worry her too much. The marking spell she'd placed on the bracelet wouldn't wear off for several days. And by then, she fully expected that she'd have killed the young prince and his troublesome manservant.

As soon as she had managed to get away, she began tracking them, following the pull in her mind towards the magical mark on Arthur's wrist. She'd been following it closely, her excitement growing as she grew ever closer to the prince…

And then it had stopped. The draw in her mind, the feeling that called to her and told her where her prey was, it was gone. Like the flame of a candle had been blown out in the back of her mind. She'd been so close, too! She could feel it, taste it, calling to her. And then…it had vanished.

She was inconsolable. How _dare_ Arthur evade her so easily? The stupid, idiot Pendragon! Her _sister_ deserved to be the next in line for the throne in his place! But he and his stupid servant had just _disappeared_, managed to elude her. How could it happen?

She knew that when she found him again, now, she'd make him pay for all he had put her through. How one prince managed to escape her so many times, she'd never understand. But she knew that she'd make him pay for it.

She'd stayed where she was when the signal in her mind had vanished. She'd been so close, and she hated the thought of giving up now. So she'd hidden herself amongst the streets, hiding in the night, and waiting for her prey to come out of hiding. She did not worry about spending the night in the streets. She did not sleep, just kept her vigil. She had to be patient and wait him out. She knew that he would be trying to find a way to get back to Camelot. At some point, he'd have to come back out of hiding. And when he did….

She had been forced to ride out the time shift. It had been painful, but necessary. She did not understand the consequences of the shifting timelines, but believed that it would pave way for the new future that Morgana would bring about. Morgause believed that the shifts were for the better, believed that it would eradicate the future that would have been brought about by Arthur, and be replaced with Morgana's new world. She knew her sister's influence would last far into the future, and make this a world where magic was the ruler, where those who did not accept magic or did not possess the ability for magic would be the lowest of the low. So she waited out the pain of the time shift, even as her own powers screamed within her.

It had been late morning when she once more could feel the strength of the spell she'd placed on Arthur again. Immediately she was alert, her brown eyes hardening with determination. She could feel the beacon in the back of her mind, calling her, showing her exactly where her target was and where he was going.

And what made her smile wickedly to herself was the feeling that he was _close_. When she'd lost him yesterday, she'd been closer than she'd thought. But now whatever had been shielding him was gone. She could track him once more.

Morgause wasted no time. She couldn't let Arthur escape this time. She didn't know how he'd managed to hide himself the night before, but she wasn't going to give him the chance to do it again.

The streets of this strange city of London were quiet. Morgause believed that to have been caused by the timeshift somehow. She did notice that there were far, far fewer of those fast-moving metal machines flooding the streets. A light drizzle rained over the quiet sidewalks, probably what had driven most people into their homes. Few were on the roads, and those who were hurried place to place, minding their own business and getting inside as soon as possible. None noticed the oddly-dressed woman who was moving quickly through the twisting London streets, her brown eyes burning with determination, her hooded cloak protecting her blonde hair from the rain.

She paused for a brief moment and closed her eyes, focusing on the magical tag. Swiftly, she changed her direction, deciding to find a quicker route. Arthur was moving fast, most likely in one of those cars. After her own use of one the other day, she knew how fast they could travel. She'd have to find a way to intercept it, or else she may not catch up to him before he found a way to hide again. This time he would not escape, she was sure of it.

She did _not_ run. She was too dignified for that, but she moved swiftly and with great determination through the streets, her target clear in her mind. Only a few times did she use her powers; opening a locked gate, destroying a wall that stood between her and her prey. She did not care, nothing but the death of Arthur mattered to her.

Her quick movement brought her out onto another empty street, lined with storefronts, most of which were dark. The magic was strong in her mind, so strong she could almost taste it. Arthur was coming towards her.

The sound of a car alerted her, and she turned her head to see one of the metal machines, this one small and blue and white, moving down the street towards her. Morgause knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this one contained Arthur Pendragon. She could feel it in her mind.

She did not care who saw what she was about to do. It did not matter to her. The only thing that mattered was Arthur's death.

Without a second's hesitation, she lifted her hand.

"**Forþ fleoge**," she spat, and her eyes flashed gold as the magic left her, set out to do her bidding.

The whoever driving did not even have time to respond before the full brunt of the force hit the machine, and it flew backwards, spinning in the air and spitting sparks as the crumpled metal skidded across the pavement, broken glass flying forth in all directions.

Morgause watched with narrowed eyes until the vehicle lay still. Then she started forward towards it. If Arthur had survived that crash, she'd finish him off.

* * *

They were close. Merlin had traveled to Crystal's place of employment enough over the past few days to understand where the store was located, and as they raced through these quiet, empty streets, through the rain, he could tell they were close. They'd be able to find Ms. Payne and he'd get the help he needed to send them back to Camelot. How he'd be able to do it without Arthur noticing, he wasn't quite sure, but for now all that really mattered was getting help and getting that help before Morgause caught them.

Unfortunately, that was too much to ask for.

Merlin saw the figure move out onto the sidewalk, and he immediately knew it did not bode well. But he barely had time to warn Crystal before Morgause raised her hand.

Then the world was spinning, turning on itself as the car flipped into the air. There was a moment of weightless-ness, before everything came crashing down.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, cliffhangers. How I love thee.

I'm planning on posting the next chapter like usual on Monday (tommorrow), but I'm sorry in advance if I don't get around to it. Just doing a lot of stuff right now, along with the fact that I believe tommorrow we're supposed to go to the Grand Canyon. So we'll have to see.


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Okay, so, yeah, I didn't get around to posting yesterday like I wanted to, but on the positive side, I had a great time at the Grand Canyon! Besides, I thought it would only be appropriate to post today because it's my birthday. Yay!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my birthday present to you guys, the next chapter of this story!

* * *

**Chapter 15- In Which They Run For Their Lives**

He must have only been out for a few seconds, because the next thing he heard was Crystal yelling his name and telling him to wake up. His eyes flickered open, and the world swam into view. His head pounded, but he barely had time to assess his own injuries, because Crystal was once again yelling. What was she saying?

"Morgause! Merlin, she's coming!"

Merlin shook his head, trying to clear it, but that was a very bad idea. However, the sharp burst of pain that followed that badly chosen motion helped to snap him back to his senses somewhat. He twisted in his seat, and looked out the shattered window to see a certain hooded, blonde figure making tracks straight towards the crumpled car.

Merlin struggled to see the back seat, where he could see Arthur slumped forward, unconscious. From this angle, the black-haired warlock could see blood running from a wound protruding from the prince's hairline, but other than that, he seemed alright.

"Arthur?" he called, trying to rouse the prince. But there was no response, and movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to look out of the window on Crystal's side that was now shattered into a million pieces over the road and the redhead's lap. Morgause was almost on top of them, crossing to the rear door. Merlin knew who she was after.

Crystal struggled to pull of her seatbelt, but Merlin was faster. With a flash of his eyes, Crystal's heavily mutilated door burst open, slamming itself into the approaching witch. Wasting no time, Merlin's eyes flashed again and Crystal's seatbelt unraveled, and the girl was free. As one hurrying, bumbling mass, the two front seat occupants tumbled out of the opposite front side door (the one that didn't have one determined and more than likely irate witch behind it) and out onto the street. Gathering himself as quickly as possible, Merlin yanked the rear door open and grabbed for Arthur, struggling to drag the unconscious blonde out of the car. The opposite door was yanked open, and Morgause, her brown eyes blazing with fury, reached inside the battered vehicle in attempts to grab Arthur herself. Merlin tugged the prince backward, and, at the same time, focused his gaze on a seatbelt nearest the witch. With a flash of his magic, the belt wrapped itself around Morgause's arm, ensnaring the woman. She snarled her anger, and attempted to pull it off, and Merlin took his opportunity. With one more almighty heave, and hauled Arthur out onto the street, where the two collapsed in a heap onto the wet pavement.

"The store's right over there!" Crystal yelled, helping to pull Arthur's deadweight off the squashed warlock. "Hurry!"

Together, girl and boy heaved the prince up and ran as fast as they could, shoes sliding on the slick tarmac, across the street. Merlin glanced over his shoulder to see that Morgause had freed herself and was coming after them. His mind raced for a way to distract her again, but a passing car did his job for him, as it almost careened into the blonde woman. With a smile, Merlin focused once more on dragging the unconscious Arthur as quickly as possible towards the department store's doors in the distance. She wouldn't _dare_ follow them into a public place, would she?

They were almost on top of the magically opening doors when both Merlin and Crystal stumbled. A feeling like what had hit the warlock the night before returned, a feeling like the world was twisting in on itself. Merlin gritted his teeth, knowing that time was shifting once again. His stomach heaved and his head pounded, and he struggled to hold up Arthur and at the same time remain on his own feet.

He forced his eyes open, as he'd screwed them closed against the wave of nausea. He forced himself to move forward, towards those doors. Once they got through them, they'd be able to have the safety of the crowd to hide them, until they could get to Ms. Payne and get some help.

But there was a problem. As they approached the doors, they didn't open. Nor were they glass anymore, but one heavy metal one stood where the fancy glass ones once did. Merlin flung himself at it, trying to force it open, but it refused to budge.

Crystal muttered a rather impressive curse. Merlin shot an anxious glance over his shoulder, and then focused on the unresponsive door.

"**Tóspringe,**" he commanded, and with a flash of his eyes, the door sprang open, practically blown off its hinges. From the corner of his eye, he saw Crystal give him a look of awe, but he didn't have time to comment. Heaving Arthur back onto his shoulder, the two dragged him into the darkened department store.

"We can't go in there!" Crystal hissed. "We'll be trapped!"

"We don't have a choice!" Merlin insisted. Now safely inside, he looked back at the door that was barely hanging onto its hinges.

"**Fýrbendum fæst," **he said, causing the door to swing forward and lock itself. Merlin knew that it wouldn't hold Morgause for long, but it would give them a chance to hide, though with the tag on Arthur he wasn't sure how long they'd even be able to do _that_.

"What was that?" Crystal asked, rubbing her forehead. Merlin understood what she meant.

"Another timeshift," he replied. "They're getting worse."

"Terrific," the redhead grumbled. Merlin glanced around their surroundings. The once bright and cheerful store, filled with two stories of merchandise and wares was now empty and dark. The floor was hard grey stone where carpet and tile once lay, and the ceilings now showed a veritable maze of piping and tubing. Long, crudely built shelves lined the floor where clothing and cosmetic displays once stood. Boxes of varying sizes were now all the "merchandise" this once great shopping centre now had to offer.

"It's a warehouse," Crystal whispered. "I don't think it's ever been a store."

Arthur muttered as he began to awake, and Merlin glanced down at the prince.

"Arthur?" he asked. The blonde blinked open blue eyes and looked around.

"What happened?" he asked, rather groggily. As if to answer his question, the door they'd come through suddenly shook as Morgause attempted to open it. Merlin quickly shifted Arthur's weight entirely to Crystal, though the prince was waking up and gathering himself, so it didn't put too much burden on the redhead.

"Get him somewhere safe," Merlin told her. "Quickly.

"What about you?" Crystal demanded.

"I'll see if I can get her off our tail," he replied. Her eyes widened.

"And just how are you planning on doing _that_?" she demanded. He sighed in exasperation.

"We _really_ don't have time to argue," he said. "Just go."

"Fine," she muttered, and then turned, dragging along the semi-conscious Arthur. Merlin watched as they disappeared amongst the unending rows of shelves and boxes, before he crouched down, concealing himself as he waited for Morgause to make her entrance.

And she did, soon enough. With a vengeance. The door Merlin had locked exploded off its hinges and slid across the floor in a spray of sparks. Merlin crouched down in his hiding place between two large boxes on the floor under one of the shelves, watching with bated breath. She strode into the darkened warehouse, cloak billowing behind her, and Merlin wondered what it was with Morgana, Morgause, and their capes.

But he didn't have time to ponder the evil sisters' choice in clothing for long, as Morgause was already walking with purposeful steps forward, heading in the direction that Merlin had seen Arthur and Crystal disappear only moments before. He could tell where Arthur was, like Morgause obviously could, as he could feel Arthur's magical tag in the back of his mind, signaling him to the prince's whereabouts. He had to make sure that whatever happened, she didn't get to him.

Crouching, he followed her at a distance for a short way until she was directly under one of the shelves piled high with crates and boxes. Merlin focused on the containers, ensuring that Morgause was directly in their way.

"**Binne tófléon," **he whispered, and immediately the containers fell off the shelf, down on the unsuspecting Morgause. Merlin couldn't stop himself from smiling. He edged out from his hiding place, and still keeping close to the shelves, carefully approached where the witch would be pinned under the pile of containers. He couldn't see any movement, and allowed himself to hope that maybe he'd gotten rid of Morgause long enough to get Arthur to safety.

Without wasting a second, the black-haired warlock turned and began running, planning to meet up with Arthur and Crystal and find a way to get out of this place.

There was a noise behind him, but he didn't stop to find out what it was. He wouldn't need to.

**"Forp fleoge!"**

Merlin didn't have time to react to Morgause's screamed spell, before he was hurled through the air and into a nearby shelf. And for the second time that day, his world went black.

* * *

Fortunately for Crystal, Arthur had come back to his senses. She had been getting tired of dragging him around. It was just getting annoying, not to mention _awkward_.

Now they were pressed up behind a pile of boxes, remaining as silent as possible and hoping against hope that Merlin would be able to get rid of Morgause.

Arthur had _not_ been happy that the black-haired boy had gone off to try and create a diversion. He'd kept going on about what an idiot Merlin was, but Crystal could tell beneath the rough, annoyed words that Arthur was genuinely concerned for his friend. It was actually rather sweet.

Crystal scanned their surroundings, as much as she could see from their hiding place. The warehouse was dark except for a few emergency lights that cast a weird red glow over the silent, lifeless room. It was hard to believe that this had been her place of employment only yesterday. Of course, it was hard to believe that _any_ of this had happened over the last few days. Meeting the king of Camelot and the famous sorcerer Merlin? Being attacked by an evil sorceress? Learning that her great-aunt could do magic and experiencing her entire world literally turn upside down? She had the feeling that it would take _weeks_ for her to come to grips with what had happened. She never knew that life could be so terrifying, yet amazingly thrilling at the same time.

And to think only three days ago, she'd been trying to figure out how to pay her rent! Now that wasn't even the first thing on her mind!

A crash made both redhead and prince almost jump out of their skins.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Merlin," Arthur muttered darkly beside her. Crystal glanced at him and nodded in agreement, her breath catching in her throat. She could only hope that that had been Merlin toppling boxes on Morgause, not the sorceress getting rid of the black-haired warlock.

Crystal swallowed hard. She knew that it was the absence of both Arthur _and_ Merlin that had caused the timeshifts, and only the return of _both_ to Camelot would fix the timelines. But…what if one of them was killed? Time very well might collapse in on itself.

_Like I needed any more pressure,_ she thought in annoyance. Somehow, she'd have to make sure that both got back to Camelot alive. She wasn't sure how much she'd be able to do, but she'd have to give it her best shot.

_Or die trying._

And they'd come pretty close. She couldn't see her own face, though she did have some nasty cuts up and down her arms from where the glass in her window had shattered, but Arthur was sporting a lovely gash at his hairline, surrounded by a blue and black bruise. Merlin had looked pretty much worse for wear the last time she'd seen him, too. Their brush with Morgause had been a little too close for comfort.

Crystal and Arthur sat, hidden, in silence for what seemed like an eternity, but nothing else seemed to happen. And it was making Crystal anxious. Merlin should have found them by now, if he'd done what he had intended to do.

"Merlin should be here by now," Arthur stated, evidently thinking along the same lines as Crystal. The redhead bit her lip.

"What's taking him so long?" she whispered, her voice tighter than she'd meant it to be. She couldn't let herself sound scared. If she let herself sound scared, then she'd _become_ scared. She had to keep it together.

She had experience keeping it together. Like how she'd stayed strong after her mother had died, and how she'd kept it together when it was obvious she didn't have the money for college, or when she'd gotten into that fight with her brother. This was just like that. Sure, maybe her life was on the line this time, but….

_Happy thoughts, Crystal. Happy thoughts._

"What if something happened to him?" she asked suddenly, feeling her heart start to hammer behind her ribs. "What if-"

"Shh," Arthur shushed her, holding up a hand. "Listen."

Both fell silent and Crystal strained to hear what caught Arthur's attention.

It wasn't hard to pick up in the empty, echoing warehouse, and Crystal relaxed slightly.

Footsteps. Regular, steady, footsteps.

"Thank God, Merlin," she sighed, the relief welling up inside her. But Arthur didn't look convinced.

"Stay down," he told her quietly. Crystal looked confused but did as she was told, staying down as he carefully edged himself around the side of their cardboard fort. Crystal saw him immediately tense.

"What is it?" she whispered, trying to see around him. He didn't answer for a while, and Crystal felt her pulse rise even higher. Finally, he spoke.

"We need to run," he said, decidedly.

"What?" Crystal asked, but he gave her no explanation, simply grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

_"Run!"_ he repeated, and Crystal did as she was instructed, racing after Arthur through the unending rows of stacked shelves, dodging past boxes and shipping containers. Crystal chanced a glance over her shoulder and caught just the briefest glimmer of a cape. How had Morgause gotten away from Merlin?

Crystal swallowed and ran faster, remembering just how much power that woman wielded. She could kill them from only a few paces back. This was not good.

"Where is Merlin?" Arthur demanded, pausing for the shortest moment and turning on his heel, trying to get his bearings.

"What if something's happened to him?" Crystal asked nervously, glancing around. She crossed her fingers and prayed to anyone who might be listening that Morgause hadn't killed the black-haired warlock. She knew that, for one thing, time wouldn't be able to cope with his death. But for another….and as much as she hated to admit it….she'd come to see the strange boy as a friend. She wouldn't forgive herself if he'd gotten himself killed.

"Come on," Arthur urged, causing her to run again. He pulled her behind a large metal shipping container, and the two paused to catch their breaths.

"This won't hide us," Crystal pointed out. "She can tell were you are."

"I know," Arthur answered darkly. His eyes darted across the darkened warehouse, and Crystal followed his gaze. He pointed at a glowing red sign across the length of the one-time store.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Emergency exit," she replied. "We'll never get to it in time. She'll see us long before we get there."

Arthur nodded slowly, as if considering something. He turned urgent blue eyes to her, and Crystal couldn't look away. He wasn't her prince or king, but he demanded a certain level of respect that she just couldn't deny.

"Find Merlin," Arthur told her. "And get out of here. I'll distract her."

"What? Arthur, that's what Merlin just tried to do, and now we don't even know where he is!" Crystal reminded him, her voice a harsh whisper. "Besides, it's _you_ she wants."

"I'll follow you, I promise," he told her. "Just get out of here."

"No, I – "

"That is an order."

His voice was so flat and commanding that Crystal swallowed her retort and found herself nodding, despite the one half of her brain that was screaming the fact that Arthur wasn't her monarch. And yet…she just _had_ to obey him.

And after all, how many people got to be commanded by the legendary King Arthur?

"Okay," she muttered.

"Where's the bracelet?" he asked.

"Merlin has it."

"Alright. Let's hope the idiot didn't lose it."

Footsteps were getting closer, and Crystal's heart beat in her throat. She swallowed hard.

"On my count," Arthur said. Crystal bit her lip, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"One."

_Please, please, please get me out alive…_

"Two…"

_Oh, crap, I'm gonna die…._

"Three!"

On the signal, both girl and prince split off in different directions, Crystal racing back the way they'd come in, and Arthur running in the opposite direction. Crystal's heart beat hard against her ribs, as her legs pumped beneath her. She used to run cross country when she'd been in school, and now she was glad she had. She rushed as fast as she could over the smooth cement floor, praying that her trainers wouldn't slip and send her crashing. She leaped a box in her way and dodged another, almost missing running head-on into the support of a shelf.

Crystal slid to a halt and panted, looking around desperately for any sign of Merlin.

_Boxes…boxes…boxes…oh where is he?_

She ran a past a few more aisles, frantically searching for any sign of the warlock. She paused a moment and panted, knowing she had to keep running so Arthur wouldn't have to distract Morgause for too long. But honestly, she had no idea where Merlin was. He could be anywhere in this warehouse!

Two more aisles and finally she came across a pile of boxes that had been obviously toppled over. Crystal's trainers skidded on the cement as she turned sharply and clambered over the toppled containers.

"Merlin?" she called, searching for the boy. A limp form slumped against the support of one of the shelves caught her eye and she raced over, crashing to her knees beside the downed warlock. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him over onto his back. She winced. Along with the various cuts and bruises he'd sustained from the car accident, and the graze on his forehead he'd managed to gain when Morgause had thrown them across the pavement a few days ago, now a large, quickly blackening bruise spread across his left temple, surrounding a gash that was dripping blood down the side of his head. Crystal bit her lip and desperately hoped he didn't have a concussion.

"Merlin!" she said, shaking his shoulder. For a moment, she was terrified he wouldn't respond. But after she called his name again, he stirred minimally and groaned.

"Thank God," she sighed, and then shook him again. "Merlin, come on. We have to go."

"What?" he mumbled, eyes flickering open. "What's going on? Where's Arthur?"

"Arthur's distracting Morgause," Crystal informed him as he attempted to struggle to his feet. She was slightly worried about how out of it he seemed to be, and she had to help him stand, and then support him as he swayed unsteadily on his feet.

"Why's he doing that?" Merlin slurred. Crystal frowned. He very well might have a concussion.

"No time," she told him. "We have to get out of here."

Crystal looped Merlin's arm around her shoulders and started forward, the warlock stumbling as he attempted to run. Eventually she was more dragging-carrying him than he was running. She struggled under his deadweight, but set the neon red sign of the exit in her sight and ran as fast as she could towards, even as she dragged Merlin behind.

It seemed like the entirety of the warehouse stood between her and that exit. Like the entire world was stretched out before her. She panted, her heart pounding in her chest, the adrenaline in her blood the only thing that was keeping her from collapsing, helping her escape this place that she'd once worked at that may now become her death trap.

She thought she may never reach that brilliant red sign, but finally it was right in front of her. She felt like laughing out loud, and paused for a moment to look over her shoulder. Not too far behind, gaining on them as he ran across the cement floor without the added burden of an extra body, was Arthur. Crystal smiled wildly, not seeing Morgause anywhere in sight, and the emergency exit door only a few paces before her. With Arthur quickly gaining, she turned to finish her race to freedom and reach for the crashbar on the door. She was just stretching her arm out –

And then there was a wicked burst of twisting pain and Crystal fought not to cry out, simply gritted her teeth, hard, and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she wished she hadn't.

The emergency exit door was gone. They were trapped.

* * *

**A/N:** So, yeah, next chapter will hopefully be coming around on Friday (I don't expect any distractions). Hope you enjoyed it! Now I'm off to go shopping and have a fun birthday. See you later!


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N:** So...yesterday was Friday, wasn't it? Great to know I'm on top of the days here. Heh, heh. Although, in my defense, I am on break right now, and therefore have absolutly no concept of time whatsoever. Unfortunatly, break has gone by much too fast and tommorrow I will be hitting the road to drive (well, techincally my _roommate_ will be driving) the 11 hours back to college. And then, unfortunatly, we'll be back in the swing of this. Ugh.

On a completly different note, the wonderful romp that has been this fanfiction is, sadly, almost at an end. Monday's chapter will be the last, I'm sad yet happy to say. After that, I'm not sure what I'll do. I'm currently working on commentaries for the second season which I'll be hopefully posting soon, but after that I don't know where my fanfictin writing career will go. I have two original works waiting in the wings to be worked on, so whether or not I'll be doing much with fanfictions is debatable. But, we'll see. Anyways, read on my friends!

* * *

**Chapter 16- In Which Things Are Bad**

"What happened?" Arthur demanded. Crystal shifted Merlin's weight on her shoulder and bit her lip.

"Timeshift," she grunted in response. She glanced down at Merlin to find he'd fallen unconscious again.

_Thanks for the help, Merlin,_ she thought sarcastically, but realized that she probably shouldn't be so hard on him. After all, he had risked his life to try and distract Morgause. It wasn't his fault that he'd gotten the brunt of her anger.

Crystal turned from the door that was no more and struggled to see what had changed this time.

She felt the blood drain away from her face.

Only moments before they'd been on the warehouse floor. Now, by the looks of it, they were suspended above the ground on some sort of a catwalk. Crystal could see the ground far below through the metal mesh floor. A waist-high metal rail was obviously only there to conform to safety regulations. Any small child could have fallen through the spaces under the bar, between the supports. Crystal swallowed hard. She wasn't a fan of heights, and being up here, with a witch hunting them, was almost more than she could bear.

"Where is Morgause?" Crystal asked, deciding to lower her voice in case the witch was anywhere near. Arthur shook his head.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "But she'll find us soon enough."

Crystal shifted uncomfortably. Each second they spent here, trapped against a bare wall that would have been their escape if they'd been only a little faster, Morgause was creeping up on them, making their chances of getting out of here alive less and less.

"Here," Arthur said, taking the weight of Merlin off Crystal's shoulders and draping him over his own. Crystal sighed, grateful. Merlin may not be incredibly heavy, but it was more weight than she was used to carrying around, especially after dashing around a warehouse, running for her life.

"Come on," the blonde prince urged, running off across the catwalk, Merlin in tow. Crystal's eyes widened in horror. Did he even know where he was going?

"_Wait!_" she yelled, but was forced to run after him anyways. Feet pounding and echoing off the metal floor, Crystal dashed after the prince and the servant, the blood rushing in her ears. The catwalk was long and narrow, designed to connect offices across the warehouse and as a place for computer panels that controlled lights and other technology. There was only one way down: a set of narrow stairs that lead back out onto the warehouse floor. Crystal swallowed hard. One way down. One way to block. And one witch that was out for their blood.

She could see where this was going.

It didn't mean she was anymore prepared for it.

A nearby mechanical panel filled with switches exploded in flames as they ran past. Both Crystal and Arthur leaped backwards, trying to escape the sparks. Crystal stumbled and almost felt, but grabbed the railing and steadied herself. Arthur, Merlin awkwardly draped over his shoulder, slid to a halt. For a moment, Crystal wondered why he'd stopped running. But she followed the prince's gaze to a silhouetted form in the smoke. Crystal felt her stomach churn with panic. She recalled the episode in the park only the day before. She couldn't help but deny who that figure was.

A low chuckle made her blood run cold in her veins.

"Finally, Arthur."

The sound of the woman's voice rather surprised Crystal. After all, she hadn't heard the woman speak before, and though she had assumed that she _could_, it was just strange to finally hear her voice. She rather reminded Crystal of a purring cat, the way her tone was silky-smooth and almost purring. The smoke parted around the cloaked woman, and Morgause locked deadly brown eyes onto the blonde prince before her.

"You may have had some luck, but it's about to run out."

Arthur glared at her, and then sucked in a breath. He attempted to rush forward, but she raised a hand and Crystal felt the force like she had when she'd first encountered the blonde sorceress a few days ago slam into her. Despite herself, she cried out as she skidded backward. And for a very good reason.

There was no more floor beneath her.

Crystal shot out under the railing of the catwalk, and for one gut-wrenching, heart-stopping moment, she was flying. She had just enough sense to reach out, and luck granted her a grip on the railing support. Her descent stopped, she dangled by one hand, twenty feet over the warehouse floor.

She forced herself to open her eyes, then struggled not to look down and see just how high up she was, just how far down that hard, cement floor was below her feet. She swallowed hard and grabbed onto the edge of the catwalk above her, digging her fingers though the holes in the metal mesh floor and dragging herself up. Her muscles screamed at the effort, but her heart pounded and she forced herself to move, even as the sharp edges of the metal dug into her flesh.

She managed to raise herself above the level of the floor and hung on for dear life, her eyes searching wildly for any signs of Arthur and Merlin. She prayed that both were still alive, that Morgause hadn't killed them yet.

Both young men were sprawled across the floor, Merlin in an awkward heap and Arthur lying flat on his back, his eyes closed. Crystal struggled with her grip and watched in horror as Morgause strode forward to stand over the blonde prince. Her eyes were cold and murderous, and she didn't even smile as she stared down at her helpless prey.

"We will certainly enjoy being rid of you, Arthur Pendragon," she growled. Crystal could hear her heart hammering in her ears, could feel the blood pulsing through her veins and in her temples. She was practically shaking, struggling to hold onto the metal that was only just sparing her from a deadly fall, as she watched a sorceress stand above her friends, preparing to kill them.

Morgause raised her hand and splayed her fingers, and Crystal knew what was coming. She didn't know how the woman was going to do it, but she knew that with both Arthur and Merlin down, there was no way they could escape the bloodlust of someone so power-hungry, so merciless.

Crystal was beyond angry now, and she knew she had to do _something_. She would not let Arthur and Merlin die. No. _She could not let them die_.

So she did the only thing she could think of. She screamed.

She wasn't entirely sure what happened when she screamed. She felt something deep inside her sort of…_shift_. Like something was released inside her very soul, her very essence. She didn't understand it entirely, but all she knew was that Morgause was suddenly flying backwards. A computer panel stopped her flight, and the blonde woman slumped to the floor and lay still.

Crystal panted, clinging desperately still to the catwalk as she dangled off it. She stared at the woman, unsure of what had just happened. She bit her lip and grunted as she attempted to pull herself back up onto the metal floor.

A hand was on her arm, helping her. Crystal looked up to find Merlin, kneeling on the floor above her, blood still trickling down the side of his face, blue eyes determined (if not slightly unfocused) as he helped her level herself back up to relative safety.

With his help, she managed to clamber back onto the catwalk, where she steadied herself on the railing.

"Thanks," she panted. Merlin shook his head.

"Thank _you_," he replied. She frowned at him, unsure of what he meant.

"Did you throw her back?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I just woke up," he replied. "That was you."

Crystal blinked.

"_Me?_" she asked, incredulously. "No, it couldn't have been. I don't have magic."

"Looks like you do," Merlin said, eyebrows raised. Crystal blinked and opened her mouth to retort, but Arthur groaned from where he lay a few feet away. Merlin rushed to the fallen prince's side and knelt beside him, checking him over.

"Is he okay?" Crystal asked, hanging back. Her mind was still a whirl, trying to piece together all that had happened. Merlin nodded.

"He will be," he told her.

"What about you?" she asked. He glanced up at her and half-smiled.

"I'm fine," he promised. She didn't quite believe him, and quickly came to his aid when he stumbled trying to heft Arthur up.

"We have to get out of here," the warlock said firmly. "We have to get back to Camelot."

Crystal didn't argue, and together the two lugged the unconscious Arthur down the catwalk stairs back to the warehouse ground floor, leaving a limp Morgause behind. Whether she was dead or not, neither of them truly cared.

Crystal frowned when they reached the floor. Something felt….different now. Something that was nagging at the back of her mind, like a warning, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Merlin paused, and glanced sideways at her.

"Something's not right," he agreed to her unspoken observation. They glanced around the warehouse, but besides the fact that it was in the place of a large department store that should have been there, neither of them could deduce just exactly what was happening.

"Outside," Merlin urged, directing Crystal to the metal door that had only moments before, lay in a crumpled mass on the warehouse floor thanks to Morgause's magic. Crystal and Merlin dragged Arthur as quickly as they could to their escape. Merlin spoke the same word he had earlier used to open the door and it complied, opening out onto a world that neither were quite ready to witness.

The blinding white light of day flooded through the now-open door, and Crystal raised an arm in a vain attempt to shield her eyes. Merlin stepped forward and she followed doggedly, no sight to guide her. At last her vision adjusted enough to the outside world that she was able to properly discern just what the heck was happening around her.

Merlin had stopped, she used the opportunity to look around. Her forehead furrowed with confusion.

_What the…?_

The world she had known was gone. When the timeshifts had started, at least everything was still fairly normal, fairly recognizable. She still knew the streets, could still recognize storefronts and buildings. At least things had been similar to what it had once been.

But now….she wasn't even sure what to think.

For one thing, outside the warehouse door, there was, quite literally, nothing. The buildings, the shops, they were gone. Well, not _gone_. Their shells were there, but they were crumpled, mangled, destroyed, like the aftermath of some great war or some terrible, horrible mass extinction. The world was too quiet. No one was on the streets. The smashed car they'd stolen was gone. Not even _signs_ of people remained: no trash, no empty pop cans or discarded newspapers blowing down the street, no parked cars or bicycles, no lost shoes, nothing that would suggest humans ever lived here.

"What happened here?" Merlin asked, his voice a tight whisper. Crystal glanced back over her shoulder at the warehouse they'd just come from. Was it her imagination, or was it fading?

"Merlin," she said, and the warlock turned to follow her gaze. Together, they watched as the building shifted and faded, before disappearing altogether. Their eyes met and Crystal felt panic rising in her throat.

"What's going on?" she asked, completely lost. Merlin turned back to the ravaged buildings before them. They seemed to be fading, too. Shifting and changing forms, morphing and twisting, disappearing then reappearing.

"Time is falling apart," the black-haired boy answered solemnly.

"You are right, Emrys."

The voice was shockingly loud against all the…_quiet_, and both Merlin and Crystal jumped in surprise, looking around to find who had spoken, who was still alive in this strange, morphing world.

Crystal's jaw dropped when Ms. Payne, her very own employer and great-aunt, stepped forward, her prim outfit no different than usual, her eyes serious and sad.

"What are you doing here?" the redhead demanded. The tall, elderly woman gave her grand-niece a stern and appraising look.

"I am here to advise Emrys," she replied flatly.

"Who is Emrys?" Crystal demanded, but both elderly woman and black-haired warlock seemed content to move this conversation along.

"We've been trying to get to you," Merlin said, stepping forward, even as Arthur weighed him down. "But…some things came up."

"As I know," Payne responded with a chuckle, but she quickly sobered. "You came to seek my help."

"We need to get back to Camelot," Merlin answered with a nod. But the older woman shook her head sadly.

"I wish I could help you, Emrys," she said. Merlin's forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"You said you could," he argued, confusion in his voice.

"And I thought I could," she replied. "But now I see I am mistaken. What you see around you is time breaking up. The thin veil that separates one time from another is being torn, and the timelines are mixing. You and Arthur have been gone from your time for too long, and it is taking its toll."

"It can't be too late," Merlin argued. "We can still set it right."

"It is not too late," she agreed. "But the veil is so thin that it will take a great magic to set it right again. A magic that I do not possess. Only you, Emrys, can successfully repair the tear and return the world to its proper state. I cannot help you."

"But I don't know _how_," Merlin responded, desperation in his voice.

"I wish I could help," she said sadly. "But this falls to _you_."

Crystal looked over at Merlin. The boy's eyes were wide and scared, and she felt immediately sorry. All of this, falling on him….she didn't want to think about how great that responsibility was. She watched as he reached into the pocket of the tan pants Crystal had bought for him only the day before, and produced the bracelet that she'd risked her life to retrieve. The blue gem in the middle still glowed with a strange inner light, and Merlin held it up.

"How do I use it?" he asked.

"You will understand it if you reach inside yourself," Payne replied. "Only you can wield such power in a way that will repair the void."

Merlin nodded slowly. He slipped the bracelet onto his wrist and Crystal watched in silence as he studied the strange markings around the glowing stone. He looked at the redhead and gave her a wan smile.

"Thank you," he said. "For your help."

Crystal opened her mouth to reply, but found no words. She knew she should say goodbye, but she had nothing to say. She simply nodded, rather numb to everything, and he shifted Arthur's entire weight onto his own shoulders and off of hers. The warlock took the prince's hand and positioned it so he was touching the bracelet on Merlin's wrist. Then he raised his eyes and nodded to Payne.

"I hope this works," he said. She nodded in agreement.

"I believe in you, Emrys," she told him. He nodded his thanks. And looked back down at the bracelet

"And, Emrys."

He raised his head.

"At this moment in time, Morgana is attempting to kill Uther. She must not succeed."

Merlin nodded and returned his gaze to the silver band with the glowing jewel. He closed his eyes and Crystal instinctively stepped backwards, her eyes wide as she watched and waited for what would happen.

Merlin said nothing for a few seconds, then finally opened his eyes and spoke.

_"_**Amser aros am unrhyw ddyn**,**"** he intoned, and Crystal shuddered. She wasn't sure how, but she could _feel_ the power of the words he had just breathed.

His blue eyes flashed gold and Crystal watched in astonishment as a blinding light erupted from the gem, consuming the forms of both warlock and prince. Crystal raised a hand to protect her eyes from the sheer _brilliance_ of it.

When the light faded, and she lowered her arm, Merlin and Arthur were gone.

* * *

Merlin wasn't entirely sure where he was.

When he'd spoken the spell, he'd assumed he'd just be taken back to Camelot, as he was taken into the future before when the bracelet had been triggered by Morgana. But when he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a place he could not explain, nor understand.

Was he really standing, anyways? He wasn't standing _on_ anything, just….floating, yet…not quite floating. He was simply _suspended_.

He looked around, wondering where Arthur was, if he was back in Camelot, or if he was trapped in this same space with him.

"Arthur?" he called, but his voice simply seemed to be swallowed up by the vast emptiness that hung around him. He slowly turned on his heel, but couldn't catch any sign of the blond. He hoped that Arthur been returned to Camelot where he was safe.

"Hello?" he called again into the space, but there was no answer. Whatever this place was, he had a feeling that he was utterly, terribly alone.

But what _was_ this place?

He seemed to be standing in a void that stretched out for what seemed like all eternity on all sides of him. In his mind he could hear voices. Not clear, like if someone was actually trying to communicate with him, but distant, faint, and only mere pieces of conversation, and not enough for him to actually identify. In the void around him, there also seemed to be flashes of images, far too fast for his eyes to interpret.

But, amongst the flashes of picture, the voices and sometimes the sounds, he could detect something else. Something that wasn't right. His magic warned him of it, in a way like it had warned him of the curse on the Valley of the Fallen Kings when Arthur had first dragged him into it. His heart thudded against his ribs, and slowly, hesitantly, he stepped forward, walking into this strange world that he did not understand. But he let his magic lead him, take him to where the feelings of wrong-ness were emanating. Because, he wasn't quite sure why, but he felt like he needed to do something about it.

He couldn't understand if he was actually walking forward, or if the strange void-like place was moving _for_ him. It was a rather strange feeling, one that he wasn't entirely certain if he liked.

But however it happened, whether he walked or the void brought it to him, he felt the sense of warning grow stronger, and soon he discovered why.

Amongst the emptiness, amongst the flashes of images, amongst the blackness and deepness of this space, there was something very wrong. Now he could see it.

He couldn't understand how emptiness could look torn, but somehow it did. Somehow, a tear stood rent in the fabric of space, a jagged line cut into the images, the flashes and even the _voices_. It was as if a shard of glass had been dug into a tapestry and the whole thing had been ripped open. Merlin stared with awe at it. His magic clanged a warning in his mind as he looked closer.

It was more than a rip. It was like a sickness, like a disease spreading through this strange void place. Blackness spread from the jagged, gaping hole, tainting the images that flashed, scrambling the whispers of voices, seeping through the fabric of the rest of space. Where the black touched the images, they twisted and shifted before disappearing, as though simply melting away. But it also seemed as though other images were bleeding through from behind the tear, forcing their way into those that were, moving into the old and changing others where they touched them. It was as if two worlds were merging together, competing against each other.

The tear pulsed like a heart, growing larger and longer with each beat, with each tendril of blackness that melted out into space, with each new image that bled into the world. Merlin's eyes grew wide as he tried to understand this. What was this tear that was poisoning this place? And what was this place, anyways?

"_What you see around you is time breaking up. The thin veil that separates one time from another is being torn, and the timelines are mixing."_

Merlin almost jumped at the words in his mind. He knew it was a memory, but it was so clear it was as though Payne was speaking to him. But when he reached out with his mind, he felt no presence in this empty place.

_Time breaking up._

Merlin blinked and looked back at the tear, the jagged, gaping hole that stood before him. Understanding came to him as he caught glimpses of the images that flashed around him as they were consumed by the poisoned hole, or were devoured by the images from beyond it. This place was the place of time itself. He wasn't entirely certain if he understood how there could be a _place_ for time, but this, beyond doubt, was it. And it was breaking up. Even as he watched, the fabric of this place seemed to shiver around him, slowly being consumed by the tear that was all the time growing and poisoning everything around it.

Merlin swallowed hard. Had his and Arthur's presence in the future really caused so much trouble? Had all this really been caused by them?

_No,_ he told himself. _It's not your fault. Morgause and Morgana did this._

His heart leaped into his throat at the names. He recalled Payne's warning, that Morgana was going to attempt to kill the king. She needed to be stopped.

But this needed to be healed.

He stared at the gaping hole, like a wound that was bleeding black blood. If he didn't repair this, time itself would collapse, and there'd be no reason to worry about Morgana, because there would be nothing.

Of course, the question was, _how_ would he repair it?

Merlin licked his lips and stepped towards it (or it came to him, he wasn't quite sure).

_Okay_, he thought. _Here goes nothing._

He closed his eyes as he tried to search for the words that may close the fissure. He recalled a healing spell and decided on that, hoping that a spell that was used to close the wounds of living creatures would work to heal tears in time.

**"Þurhhæle dolgbenn," **he commanded, sending the magic out towards the rift. He opened his eyes, his heart pounding with anticipation.

But immediately he found disappointment. The tear remained, a jagged hole that was ever-growing, ever spreading, bleeding into the very essence of the world and twisting everything around it. Even now Merlin could feel the decay of the timelines, could feel time shudder and begin to come undone. Merlin gritted his teeth, prepared to try again.

**"Ge hailige!" **he shouted, more forceful this time, but when he opened his eyes there once again was no change. Merlin ran his hands through his hair in frustration. How could he mend time when he didn't know what he was doing?

He stared at the hole, at the black tendrils snaking their way out into the fabric of the veil, poisoning the world around him. Like an infection of a wound that been left untreated, the darkness was slowly eating away at everything around it. Time was dying. He could feel it.

_One more time,_ he told himself, gathering his strength once more. He squeezed his eyes shut, and gathered his magic. Focusing his mind, he slowly opened his eyes.

**"Þurhhæle licsar min!" **he shouted, eyes flashing gold. The magic left him, and he was certain this time it would work.

And yet, it did not.

The tear stood before him, like it was laughing cruelly at his failure. Merlin shouted his frustration and sank to his knees, angry at himself, at Payne, at the world in general.

Time shuddered around him, and he shuddered with it. He could feel it inside him, as if the wound in time was a wound in his own flesh, as if the poison that bled from the gaping hole was slowly poising his own magic, his own essence. He gritted his teeth, feeling helpless, angry, and confused. How could it be _his_ job to heal this? He didn't know how. He wasn't ready. He didn't have this type of magic! Not yet! Maybe one day he'd be powerful enough, but now…he knew he didn't have the strength. He couldn't heal the void. Time would die, and it would be his fault.

Once more he screamed his anger, his frustration, as he knelt there on nothing, floating in a place that was slowly falling apart around him, slowly bleeding out from a wound that he could not heal. He had seen people under Gaius's care die before, and this reminded him of those times. People who, no matter what Gaius did for them, no matter what medicine they were given or treatment they underwent, were just too far gone.

"You can't save them all," Gaius had once told him, a long time ago after a very young child had died after receiving care for an infected wound too late.

He hated seeing anyone die. But this…this was more than just a person. This was the entirety of the world, dying, bleeding out, begging for the help that he could not give, that he didn't know how to give. And Merlin hated it. It was his destiny to be an all-powerful warlock, but now, kneeling here, he didn't know how true that was. What was the point when he couldn't fix this? When it really counted, when he really needed to be powerful, he was helpless.

To his chagrin, he felt tears in his eyes and he hung his head, hopelessness gnawing at his heart. Payne said he was the only one who'd be able to heal the rift, but he was beginning to think she was wrong. Destiny had chosen the wrong person for this. He couldn't do it.

He sat there for a long time, fighting tears, angry at the world, at himself. He didn't know what to do, he didn't have anyone to turn to, and he would die here, all alone, while the rest of the world was torn apart. There was nothing he could do.

He stared down for a long time at the bracelet on his wrist. The blue gem set in the silver there was slowly losing its glow. Before, when Arthur had received it, it had emitted a strange, quiet glowt that wasn't entirely noticeable as light, but more of a strange fire within. Now that fire was dimming, going out as time faded as well. Soon it would go out entirely and there would be nothing left. Time was dying.

Merlin stared at it for a long time.

_"You will understand it if you reach inside yourself."_

The voice was so loud it was almost like Payne was standing behind him. Merlin jerked and turned, expecting to see her there. But she was not. He blinked, the words still echoing in his mind.

_"You will understand it if you reach inside yourself."_

"How do I heal it?" he said aloud, as if she could hear him though he knew she was not there.

_"Only you can wield such power in a way that will repair the void."_

The words rang in his mind, and Merlin clenched his fists. That didn't help.

"How do I wield it?" he demanded of the empty space.

_"You will understand it if you reach inside yourself." _

The words rang in his mind a third time and he sighed, looking back at the bracelet. The light was fading now, almost gone. He didn't know if he had the strength to heal the tear. He didn't know if he had the strength to do anything anymore.

But again those words came to his mind. Merlin looked up at the gaping, bleeding hole before him once more. He bit his lip. The blackness was corrupting all it touched. Soon, time would unravel and there would be nothing more. No more Camelot. No more prophecy of Albion. No more Guinevere, or Gaius, or Ealdor, or any of the things he held dear. They'd all be gone.

Memories began to force their way into his mind. Arriving in Camelot and meeting Arthur and Guinevere for the first time. Those days learning from Gaius about medicine and magic. The adventures he'd had in Camelot. The times he'd spent in Ealdor with his mother and his childhood friend Will. The wonders he'd witnessed. The trials he'd faced that had made him a better man. The victories and losses that were yet to come, so mysterious yet so tantalizing.

He remembered Crystal and the way she'd helped him even when she clearly had just wanted to be rid of him.  
The way she'd risked her life for both he and Arthur just because she knew it was the right thing to do. The way her great aunt had helped him and shown him what to do, despite the fact that she was unable to help.

The collapse of time would take all of that away. They'd all be gone, erased, forgotten. Could he really let that happen? Could he honestly allow everything he held dear to be so horribly, suddenly eradicated from the world?

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists.

No. No he could not.

Taking a breath, the warlock stumbled to his feet and glared at the gaping, pulsing, bleeding tear in front of him. His magic bubbled inside him, and he focused his mind, closing his eyes and reaching inside himself. He would give this one more shot.

He remembered all he loved, all he held dear. Camelot and Ealdor, and even the strange city of London that he barely knew. He remembered his friends, his family, those past, present, and to come. He remembered all the moments he treasured, and all the thing he looked forward to.

And he reached deep inside himself and called for his magic to come. It did, and he took a deep breath, opening himself up and gathering every last ounce of strength he could find. He reached out and felt the magic of the bracelet on his wrist, and, somehow (how, he wasn't entirely sure) he linked his magic with the magic of the bracelet, strengthening it further. The gem on the silver band glowed a fierce blue, and though his eyes were closed he could _feel_ its power. Gritting his teeth, the warlock searched his very _soul_ for the words he needed.

He found them.

**_"Wyf yn eu gorchymyn i chi i drwsio a gwella amser ei hun!" _**he yelled, his voice becoming deeper, almost ancient, as it did when he had cast the healing spell over Morgana or called on the Great Dragon. His eyes snapped open and they burned gold. His magic flared and rushed towards the tear in the veil, burning, pulsing, twisting. Merlin knew when it touched it, and he could feel it inside himself.

His world exploded into white, and the white seared his mind. Merlin's legs gave out beneath him and he crumpled to the ground, and knew nothing.

* * *

"Merlin."

Merlin wasn't entirely sure if he was really hearing someone calling his name or if it was just a dream. Besides, his head hurt. He wanted to sleep…

_"Merlin."_

Merlin groaned. Someone was definitely calling his name. And he was fairly certain who it was, too. Especially when he felt the toe of a boot prodding him in the arm.

Merlin's eyes flickered open and he found himself lying on his back, staring up and something blurry and vaguely human-shaped above him. He blinked a few times before the world swam back into view and he could see Arthur standing over him. For a moment the warlock thought he might have seen a flicker of concern pass over the prince's face, but it was quickly replaced by the typical light annoyance that was Arthur's usual way of looking at his servant.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, staring up at him. "Are we in Camelot?"

"It would look that way," Arthur replied. "Would you like to explain to me how we got back here?"

Merlin struggled to sit up, trying to ignore the pounding headache.

"You…were…knocked out," he explained, racking his rather fuzzy brain for an explanation. "And Crystal and I dragged you out and managed to find Ms. Payne, who got us back."

"You, what, just found her?" Arthur asked skeptically. "Just like that?"

"Yup," Merlin replied, smiling cheekily. Arthur didn't look convinced but obviously decided to move on with life.

"Come on, we're just outside the city gates. I'm sure most of Camelot is wondering where I am," Arthur said, holding out a hand to Merlin who took it and struggled to his feet.

"What about me?" the warlock questioned. Arthur raised an eyebrow at his servant's words.

"Trust me, Merlin, most of Camelot is probably _glad_ that you've disappeared."

With that, Arthur strode towards the walls of the castle in the distance and Merlin glared at his back. He didn't follow immediately, but paused for a moment, considering what had just happened.

He'd done it. He'd healed time. Somehow, someway, he'd sealed the rift and had saved Camelot and the rest of the universe.

Despite Arthur's words, the warlock couldn't help but smile a bit. Maybe he _was_ meant to be the greatest warlock after all.

"Merlin!" Arthur called over his shoulder, and the black haired boy's moment was shattered. Frowning, he ran to catch up after his master.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Okay, so I lied. Last Author's Note I said this was the last chapter. I miscounted. There are 18 chapters in this fanfiction, so you still have one to go. Yay! So, this is the second to last chapter, not the end yet. Either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you're liking this story.

But anyways...

* * *

**Chapter 17- In Which Plans Are Foiled**

Camelot was a military state. Guards were swarming the streets, demanding entrance into homes and shops, stopping passersby, and even jamming their spears into hay bales as if checking to see if someone was concealed inside. Few people were on the streets, as it seemed most were choosing to stay indoors for fear to the guards and knights that patrolled every inch of the town. Merlin knew it was all over Arthur's disappearance. Camelot was like an ant mound that had been kicked.

He knew they'd been in the future for around three days. That meant they'd been gone from Camelot the same. Uther was most likely beyond desperate at this point. Merlin had no desire to see what emotional state the king was in.

He'd leave that to Arthur.

"You, there!"

Both Arthur and Merlin stopped and turned towards the voice that had called for them. Merlin smiled when he saw Leon striding towards them with two guards at his back. The warlock could have almost laughed at the look on the knight's face when he recognized Arthur, standing before him, wearing the strangest clothing the knight had most likely ever seen.

Leon froze in his steps, and blinked.

"Sire!" he gasped. "Arthur! Is it you?"

"It is, Leon," Arthur confirmed.

"We've been searching for you for days! Where have you been?"

"That doesn't matter," Arthur told him. "I must speak to my father."

"The King is beside himself," Leon told him. The knight fell into step beside the prince and servant, obviously attempting to ignore Arthur's strange clothes. But Merlin still caught him glancing at them once in a while with clear bemusement. "You disappeared three days ago. He's slept almost none since. The city has been under constant surveillance, and only this morning we received word that Cenred's army is on the move."

Arthur stopped short and Merlin almost ran into him. The prince turned to face Leon.

"Cenred?" he demanded. Leon nodded.

"Yes, Sire. Scouts report that he will reach our walls within a day."

"Then this is what she has been planning," Arthur said soberly, looking off into the distance. Leon looked confused.

"Who has been planning what, my lord?" he asked. Arthur turned to look at him.

"I must speak to my father," he said. He nodded to Merlin, a silent order to follow. The warlock frowned but followed obediently as the trio strode towards the castle in the distance.

* * *

Morgana could feel the dagger hanging from her belt. The weight felt reassuring and almost like a promise for the future. Uther had been beside himself, and though Morgause would think it best to wait a few more days to make sure his resolve was at its lowest, Morgana wanted to get rid of him _now _He'd never suspect her. No one would ever suspect her. And best of all, once Uther was dead, Camelot would fall to Cenred's men in only a matter of days. There would be no king. There would be no prince to take his place. There would only be her.

She strode down the corridor, her destination the council chambers. Uther had not left those chambers since Arthur had disappeared, waiting for any news from the patrols about whether or not his son had been found. They had all come back with negative news over and over again, and yet still he'd sent them out again, to search more. They never found anything.

And Morgana had watched it all, knowing that they'd _never_ find anything. Arthur was as good as gone. She wondered how Morgause had disposed of him in the future. Had she used her magic? Most likely. However she had done it, Morgana hoped it had been drawn-out and painful. It was no less than he deserved.

The guards at the council chamber saw her coming and opened the double doors for her. Morgana hardly spared them a glance. She strode in, her eyes coming to rest on Uther, who was standing behind his throne and staring off into space. His face showed signs of sleep deprivation and anxiety. Gaius had prescribed him aids to calm him and help him sleep, but they had not been touched. Uther had not left the council room for days, and had refused to sleep. Morgana could see it in his face.

His pain pleased her.

"My lord?" she asked, walking forward, the hem of her long, purple dress brushing the floor gracefully as she moved. She had draped a cape over the gown so as to hide the dagger hanging from her belt. She could feel its weight there, and her fingers itched to draw it and be rid of the man who stood between her and her throne right now. But she controlled herself.

"Morgana," the once-great king said, turning his face to her. Morgana was pleased to see how haggard it was.

"My lord, I came to see how you were," she lied, something that was so easy for her now. She strode towards him and once she reached his side she clasped his hands in hers and looked earnestly into his tired, bedraggled face.

"I have been worried for you," she said. "You haven't eaten, you haven't slept. You haven't left this chamber in days."

"I cannot leave while my son is still missing," Uther told her. "My only thoughts are for him."

"But my lord, you _must_ rest," she pressed, hating herself for how loving she sounded. If only he knew how much she hated him! "If Arthur is found while you sleep, I am sure the knights will tell you."

"No, no," he replied, looking away. "I can't sleep when Arthur is missing."

This was her moment now. She pulled the next card in her deck. She allowed her eyes to tear, allowed sadness to fill her face.

"I miss him so much," she whispered softly, and allowed a small sob to escape her lips. She quickly pressed her hand to her mouth, as if trying to contain the tears. Uther turned towards her, and she could see the care in his eyes (how she hated it).

"I know," he said and moved to her once more, pulling her into an embrace. She sobbed and silently, carefully dropped her hand to her belt, ready to produce the dagger, to end the life of this man who brought her so much hatred and pain once and for all.

She was just drawing it forth from the scabbard when the doors of the council chamber opened.

Both Uther and Morgana pulled back from each other and looked towards the intruder, Morgana with hatred in her eyes and Uther with suspicion.

Both froze. Morgana felt the blood drain from her face.

Arthur, followed by Merlin and Leon, had come into the council chambers.

"Arthur!" Uther's voice was filled with a shock and amazement that Morgana had never heard from him before. He stepped forward, but, of course, he did not show any physical affection for his son. "Arthur, is it truly you?"

"It is, Father," Arthur said, his voice and eyes solemn. Morgana's legs suddenly felt weak and she sat down hard on her own chair beside Uther's throne.

"Arthur," she whispered, horrified. How, in all the world, was he standing here right now? How had he returned to Camelot? And if he had returned to Camelot, then what had become of Morgause? Morgana couldn't even imagine if her sister had been killed by Arthur in the future. All of her plans were coming unraveled!

"You've been gone for three days! Where have you been?" the king asked, still stunned at the miraculous appearance of his son, along with the fact that Arthur was wearing some of the strangest attire that had ever appeared in Camelot.

Arthur glanced sideways at Merlin, who was also dressed in a similarly odd fashion. Both servant and prince looked considerably worse for wear. Their odd clothes were torn, dirtied, and stained. Arthur sported a cut at his hairline, and Merlin boasted both a graze on his forehead and a gash on his left temple that had obviously at one point bled quite profusely: the side of his face and the collar of his shirt were red-stained. Morgana's eyes met the servant's, and she glared with pure hatred at him. He met her gaze without flinching, and there was a deep suspicion in those cerulean irises. A glimmer of blue and silver caught her gaze and her eyes traveled down his arm to his wrist.

Morgana gritted her teeth. Was that? Yes, it was.

_The bracelet._

"My servant and I were kidnapped," Arthur informed his father, and Morgana tore her gaze from Merlin to look at her (dare she even think it?) half-brother.

"Kidnapped? By who?" Uther demanded.

"By Morgause," he answered steadily. Morgana looked to Arthur, and her heart pounded in her chest. What if he knew about her involvement with Morgause? What if he knew about her magic?

"We searched the entire kingdom for you," Uther said. "And found nothing. Not even a ransom."

"She did not want a ransom," Arthur replied. "She wanted to kill me. Fortunately, she did not succeed. We managed to escape."

"Did you kill her?" Morgana tried to force fake hope into her voice when she asked the question. She needed to know. Arthur regarded her.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "All I know is that we managed to elude her."

She felt Merlin's eyes on her again and she glared at him.

"Cenred and part of his army have been seen to be on the move," Uther informed his son. "They will be here within a day."

"I believe that Morgause may be in league with Cenred," Arthur said. "She planned to have me killed and hope that Camelot would be weak which would allow Cenred to take it."

"We must intercept his army before they reach Camelot," Uther said firmly and Arthur nodded.

"I will gather the knights and ride at first light," he replied. Uther nodded and Arthur looked to Leon for confirmation. The knight acknowledged him. A rather strange silence fell over the room, as if no one was quite certain what to say. Arthur had disappeared and then reappeared as suddenly. And though he stood before his father who had eaten nothing and had not slept since the disappearance of his son, propriety dictated that neither show emotional or physical affection. So they stood there, in silence, for a long moment. Then, Arthur turned to leave.

"Arthur."

The prince paused and turned back to find his father walking towards him. Arthur's eyes widened slightly, but he looked at his father calmly as Uther placed a gloved hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're safe," he said quietly, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear his break in decorum. Arthur nodded in response.

"Thank you, Father," he said. Uther patted his son's shoulder before turning and taking his place on his throne. Arthur turned and finished his exit from the council chambers, and Merlin, with one last hard look at Morgana turned and followed.

Morgana left not too soon after, excusing herself from her father and saying she wished to welcome Arthur home privately. However, she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she went straight to her chambers, which were fortunately empty, and screamed. She screamed like a small child having a temper-tantrum. She then threw the pillows off her bed. Only then did she feel slightly calmer, her moment of outrage, of pure, unadulterated anger finished. She sat down upon the mattress and stared at the wall.

All of her plans were destroyed.

* * *

The rest of the day rushed past in a blur. Merlin had rather hoped that, after returning to Camelot, he'd just be able to spend the rest of the evening collapsed on his bed trying to recover from the last three days. Unfortunately, there was no such luck. Arthur needed him to assist in the preparations for readying the knights to ride in the morning, which included grooming the horses, packing provisions, sharpening swords, polishing armor, and a whole list of other things that Merlin had been forced to wade through. The only chance he'd gotten to stay still for even a few moments was when Arthur had told him, quite forcefully, to see Gaius and get his head wound dealt with. It was rather fortunate for Merlin, who had been trying to figure how to sneak away from Arthur in order to find Gaius and tell him that he was very much alive.

Needless to say, his guardian was more than a little relieved to see him. He'd managed to tell the old physician some of what had occurred over the past few days whilst Gaius cleaned and patched the worst of Merlin's injuries before the warlock had had to escape again or risk Arthur's wrath. By the end of the day, the black haired boy was exhausted. But there was little rest on the horizon. Bright and early the next morning, the knights of Camelot rode out, led by Arthur, and of course with Merlin in tow. All were prepared for quite the battle, and yet, to everyone's surprise, as soon as word had gotten to Cenred's men that Arthur was coming with Camelot's army, the soldiers had retreated fairly quickly. There had only been about half the army present anyways, and Merlin guessed that Cenred hadn't planned for that hard of a battle against Camelot with Uther broken and Arthur out of the way.

Merlin hadn't been able to keep from smiling. Their plans had fallen through. He did wish he could be a fly on the wall for the future conversation that was inevitably coming between Morgause and Cenred.

The warlock was only too pleased that the confrontation with Cenred's army had been so brief. They were back in Camelot by nightfall.

Merlin had been rather surprised when Arthur had told him, after shoving the dirtied t-shirt and jeans that Crystal had bought him into his servant's arms and telling him to _get rid_ of them, to take the rest of the night off. He must have stared at Arthur with a little too much shock, because the prince scowled at him and said, "If you don't get out, I'll _find_ something for you to do."

Merlin didn't take the chance and quickly made his way to the door. But Arthur called his name, stopping him before he left.

"Yes, Arthur?" the servant asked, unable to keep a twinge of weariness from him voice.

"When we left, was Morgause…dead?" the prince asked. Merlin frowned and tried to think. Honestly, he hadn't really noticed. He hadn't _cared_ to notice.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Let's hope she was."

"Yes," Arthur replied distractedly. He said nothing more and Merlin left the prince's chambers, closing the door behind him. He walked out into the corridor, making tracks for Gaius's chambers, looking forward to a warm meal and then crashing for the rest of the night.

He didn't see Morgana until she grabbed him by his arm. He spun and glared at her as she leered at him.

"You need to learn your place," she told him, her voice dripping with hatred. "One of these days, you won't be so lucky."

Merlin said nothing, simply glared at her and watched as she released him then walked past, away off down the corridor. Merlin watched her disappear, his thoughts dark. He knew this would not be the last chance on Arthur's life. Not by a long shot.

* * *

**A/N:** Friday we will finally see the ending for this story, so make sure you check back to see how _It's About Time_ will conclude! See you all then!


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Well, this is it, guys. The last chapter. So go on and enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 18- In Which the Story Ends**

Morgana had released Merlin and walked on past. He needed to know that if he continued to stuff his nose where it wasn't wanted, that he'd be in for it. He had ruined her plans for far too long, and she knew that, somehow, it was his fault Arthur had returned.

She had been only too relieved when she'd heard Morgause's voice in her mind, calling her to meet. She had been terrified that she'd been killed, that Merlin or Arthur had murdered her or left her in the future to die. She couldn't bear the thought.

But Morgause had called to her, asking her to meet in the catacombs of the castle. It was still too dangerous yet to leave the castle walls for fear of being caught, so this was the best place they had to see each other. Morgana had been terrified that her sister may be found, but Morgause had assured her not to worry, and Morgana had eventually agreed.

Now she rushed into the torch-lit bowels of Camelot, her blonde sister in her sights.

"Morgause!" she gasped, embracing her sister. The blonde looked exhausted, though Morgana could find no physical damage. If Arthur and Merlin _had_ hurt her, she must have healed herself already. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, my sister," Morgause assured her. "But I am sorry to say that Arthur has escaped me."

"I know," Morgana said. "He returned, Morgause. I don't know how, but he came back to Camelot."

"I don't know how either," she agreed. "But I do know one thing, my sister. I made a mistake."

Morgana looked troubled.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I did not expect the magical consequences that the use of that bracelet would bring about," she told the dark-haired girl. "I did not expect what almost happened. My actions could have caused the end of this world, and an end to your rightful reign. It is only by chance that time seems to have healed."

Morgana shook her head.

"No, it is not your fault," she assured her. Morgause's brown eyes became hard.

"I am sorry that Arthur escaped, my sister," she said. "But trust me, he will not be so lucky again. Arthur will die, I promise you. And Camelot will have itself a queen."

Morgana smiled, and knew that Morgause was speaking the truth.

* * *

Merlin sat on the bed in his room, the bracelet in his hand. He had shown it to Gaius when he'd explained all that had happened. It felt good to be able to share all the events of the past few days with someone, as Gaius would be the only one who would understand. Some of what he had seen in the future still didn't make sense to Merlin, and it had been rather interesting trying to explain the concept of "cars", but all in all it had been therapeutic to just tell _someone_ about what had gone on.

He had also told Gaius about Morgana catching him in the corridor, and he and the old physician agreed that they would have to keep a close eye on her. Morgana was becoming a major threat, and Merlin would have to be on high alert to protect Arthur from her anger and hatred.

After they had finished their meal, Merlin had gone up into his room in hopes of getting some real sleep. Unfortunately, one idea had kept forcing its way into his mind. An idea that would not let up.

Now he sat, staring at the bracelet in his hand which he had kept. He intended to destroy it or somehow get rid of it, so that he wouldn't have to worry about Morgause or someone else trying this scheme again. Once healing time was bad enough. He didn't want to try it again.

But, there was something he _did_ want to try. Something that wouldn't leave him alone.

Yes, he believed he _would_ try it. Especially since he seemed to have the hang of this bracelet and it's strange magic.

The warlock stood and closed his eyes, recalling what he had done when he had healed the rift in time. Focusing on the bracelet, he connected his magic to its power, and opened himself up to time.

"**Amser aros am unrhyw ddyn," **he spoke. Immediately the power spilled from the bracelet, and he harnessed it to his own. A smile flickered across his face as white light exploded around him. This time-travelling stuff was starting to get _fun_.

* * *

Crystal sat at the tiny table in her apartment, staring at the dishes she had yet to wash. Honestly, everything seemed rather boring after what she'd been through the past couple of days. She'd been dumped head-first into a world of magic and adventure and kings and princes and servants, and now….now it was all normal again. Well, there may have been a little that had happened in the day since Merlin and Arthur had disappeared and the world had shifted back to normal (she was _so_ glad to have her car back). But everything just seemed so…boring now. And it was rather depressing.

She was just picking at her dinner when she felt a clanging inside her head that she was beginning to learn was her magic. She turned just as a white light exploded near her sofa, and she raised an arm to protect her sight.

When the light faded, a very familiar young man was standing in her living room, glancing around with amazement, and a goofy smile on his face. Crystal blinked.

"_Merlin?_" she asked, almost not allowing herself to believe it. At her voice, he turned cerulean eyes to her and smiled cheekily.

"I did it!" he laughed. Crystal smiled with amused bemusement, then slowly stood and crossed over to him.

"Merlin?" she asked. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, it is," he answered with a smile. "I just wanted to drop in and see how you were doing."

"You fixed it, didn't you?" she asked. "You fixed time."

He looked down, and Crystal was amused to see the tips of his ears turn red. She smiled coyly.

"C'mon, I know you did it," she said. He looked up and smiled.

"Yeah, I did," he answered, and they laughed.

"So, how's everything back in….Camelot?" she asked, surprised that after everything that had happened she still felt weird knowing that Camelot, that Arthur and Merlin and everything like that, were more than just a legend. Merlin nodded.

"Back to normal," the warlock reported. "We chased off Cenred's army, and I don't they'll be coming back for a while, so for a little while it'll be okay."

"I have no idea who that is," Crystal responded. Merlin smiled.

"How about you?" he asked. "Is everything back to normal?"

"Fortunately," she replied, relief flooding her voice. "After you and Arthur disappeared, things got really crazy and for a while I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. But then I closed my eyes or something and when I opened them again I was standing in front of the old department store, and everyone was walking around like nothing had happened. Ms. Payne (okay, she wants me to call her Helen now) was holding me because we were both kind of scared and people were looking at us strange, but it was like nothing had happened. _And_ I got my car back. Oh, which reminds me…"

She turned from the warlock and ran into her bedroom and up to where she'd dumped the two sets of clothes she'd left in the car after she'd bought Arthur and Merlin their new clothes. She returned with them and handed the folded outfits to Merlin, complete with folded neckerchief on top.

"I found them in my car," she said. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again to give them back. But, here they are."

"Oh, good, that's my favourite scarf," Merlin said, taking the folded clothes. "And Arthur will be happy to have his stuff back. He…had me burn the clothes you got us."

Crystal rolled her eyes.

"They were on sale anyways," she said with a shrug.

For a moment they lapsed into friendly silence, and Merlin opened his mouth to speak but Crystal got there first.

"Helen – Ms. Payne – is going to teach me how to use my magic," she told him. Merlin's eyebrows rose in response. "She's going to start helping me out with my rent and stuff, too. And, well, she's going to get in contact with my brother. To see if she can teach him, too."

"She thinks he may have the gift?" Merlin asked, intrigued. Crystal shrugged.

"We don't know, but if he does, he needs to be trained," she replied. "I….I'm not sure how I feel about seeing him again since our fight. But I guess this may be my chance to say sorry."

Merlin nodded and looked sympathetically at her.

"Good luck," he wished her. Crystal nodded.

"Thanks," she replied. He smiled.

"You're welcome."

"No, really," the redhead continued. "Look, I was hunted by an evil sorceress, almost killed three times, lost my memory, lost my _car_, and just about became a witness to the apocalypse, but I'd actually have to say thank you. I never thought life could be so….fun."

Merlin laughed.

"You're welcome," he said. "I have to go. Gaius will be looking for me."

"Okay," Crystal consented. Merlin nodded and looked down at the bracelet. But before he started the spell, Crystal thought of something else.

"Oh, and Merlin?" she said. He looked up.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, okay?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry, I will."

With that, he spoke the same words she heard him say when he'd disappeared with Arthur only the day before. Light spilled from the bracelet, and Crystal raised her arm to protect her eyes. When the light faded, he was gone.

Crystal smiled to herself.

"Goodbye, Emrys."

* * *

Merlin opened his eyes to find himself standing in his room once more. He slipped the bracelet off his wrist and, after kneeling on the floor and pulling up one of the lose boards under his bed, placed it in the cavity and covered it up with the wood once more. He'd find something to do with it soon. After all, he couldn't have people just decide to go time traveling and mess up the fabric of time, could he?

What had Crystal called that Doctor guy on that TV show? A Time Lord? Heh, that was almost like what _he_ was now.

Merlin dumped the clothes Crystal had given him on the foot on his bed before flopping down on it himself, exhausted. He closed his eyes, thankful to be back in a world he knew, where he might have at least one day where he wasn't running for his life.

He heard a knocking on the outer door to Gaius's chambers, and then some voices. A few moments later, Gaius stuck his head into Merlin's room.

"Merlin," the old physician said. Merlin opened an eye.

"Arthur wants you in his quarters. Something having to do with wanting a 'hamburger'."

Merlin groaned.

Some things would never change.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's all, folks. I want to thank everyone who has favorite this story and those who have been following it, and of course, the wonderful people like stormus, Amethyst M, AnotherMerlinFan, cflat, ChelGallifreya221B613, Jessica. .9, Inky Fingerprints, Miss Eleonora, Gloorywantshappiness, Kisa Black, and nutellainewonderland (and any I missed) who commented on this fanfiction and made me feel like I wasn't posting to a missing audience, if that even makes sense. As a first shot at writing fanfiction, you guys have made me feel great and appreciated, and I hope to be adding some more to my collection soon.

Thank you all again, and I truly hoped you enjoyed _It's About Time_. I know I enjoyed writing it, and seeing your responses to it. Bye for now!


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